BJP National President JP Nadda meets Nishad Party National President Sanjay Nishad and MP Praveen Nishad, Delhi. (File photo)
Nishad Party on Tuesday said that it will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections scheduled to take next year in 2022 in alliance with the BJP.
Making the announcement, Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad said, "We will win and form the government with BJP."
However earlier, Sanjay Nishad has claimed that his community wants him to be made the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh if a BJP-led alliance wins the state assembly elections next year.
He also said the BJP was pushed to the fourth spot in the UP panchayat polls because the Nishad community is angry with the party for not fulfilling its promise of granting reservation to it.
"It is the demand of the (Nishad) community that I be made the deputy chief minister (of UP). The chief minister is from a community that has fewer numbers. Our numbers are more. If the BJP puts up our face, then it will easily form the government in the state. We are friends who are partners in good and bad times," he said.
Previously, Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad expressed disappointment over his son and MP Praveen Nishad not being included in the Union cabinet after the reshuffle.
He asked if Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal (Sonelal) can be included in the Union council of ministers, why can't Praveen Nishad.
"If Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal (Sonelal) could get a place in the council of ministers, then why MP Praveen Nishad can't? The people of Nishad community are already ditching the BJP and if the party does not rectify its mistakes, it will face the consequences in the upcoming assembly poll," he said.
ALSO READ | Will focus only on UP's development, not building parks & smaraks: Mayawati
He said Praveen Nishad enjoys popularity in over 160 seats whereas "Anupriya Patel in just a few (assembly) seats".
He added that he has conveyed his views to BJP president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"It is their turn to decide. However, I have full faith in them that they will take care of Praveen Nishad," he said.
At present, the NISHAD (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) Party has one MLA in the UP Legislative Assembly.
Sanjay Nishad's son Praveen is an MP from Sant Kabir Nagar. Praveen Nishad had won the Gorakhpur seat in a bypoll as the SP candidate and he was supported by the BSP, under the grand alliance between the two parties.
The Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat had fallen vacant after BJP MP Yogi Adityanath was elected as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
A few days ago, while speaking to reporters in Ballia, Sanjay Nishad had said, "Our alliance with the BJP will continue. We were with the BJP, we are with the BJP today as well, and we will stay with it. However, our community is moving away from the BJP.
ALSO READ | UP Assembly polls: Congress finalises over 40 candidates, 2017 first runner-ups get preference
