Om Prakash Rajbhar, the leader of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), former ally of Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, rejoined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Rajbhar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. Shah on Sunday tweeted a picture of their meeting and welcomed the SBSP leader to the NDA. "Met OP Rajbhar in Delhi and decided to join the NDA alliance led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. I welcome him to the NDA family," he said.
The Home Minister said that arrival of Rajbhar will strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh. "The arrival of Rajbhar will strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh and the efforts being made by the NDA under the leadership of Modi ji for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden will get further strength," he added.
'Will fight 2024 elections together'
SBSP chief Rajbhar said that he discussed various issues with Shah and decided to fight the 2024 elections together. "We met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 14 and discussed various issues and decided to fight the 2024 elections together. I want to thank PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, CM Yogi Adityanath for taking us along," he said.
He further said that his party will attend the NDA meeting in Delhi on July 18. "We will attend the NDA meeting in Delhi on 18th July. The post of minister is not important for me. Now there is no competition in Uttar Pradesh," he added.
Rajbhar said BJP and SBSP fight together for social justice, national security, good governance, the deprived, exploited, farmers, poor, Dalits, youth and women, and to empower every poor section.
Rajbhar fought the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Rajbhar's alliance with the Samajwadi Party was considered an important reason for the BJP's relatively average performance in parts of 'poorvanchal' during the 2022 assembly polls.
He was a BJP ally earlier as well but had parted ways with the party ahead of the assembly polls. The BJP's decision to woo him back into the NDA highlights its micro efforts to strengthen its presence all-round the state which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha.
The decision of another OBC leader from 'Poorvanchal', Dara Singh Chauhan, to resign as a Samajwadi Party MLA on Saturday is seen as part of the BJP's larger exercise to bolster its ranks. Chauhan was in the BJP earlier but had joined the SP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls.
(With PTI inputs)
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