Om Prakash Rajbhar, national president of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBJP)
The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), will review its ties with the ruling BJP on March 27, it said on Sunday.
SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is also a minister in the state, said the review will look into the condition of the most-backward and Dalits during the one-year rule of the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh.
The announcement comes just a day after the party served a notice to its MLA Kailash Sonkar over BSP chief Mayawati’s claims that he had voted for her candidate in last week’s Rajya Sabha elections. The party has four MLAs in UP.
When he was asked about it, Rajbhar said, “As far as I know, all my MLAs voted in favour of BJP. As some claims have been made, I have asked Sonkar to explain it within a week. But at the same time, with 2019 Lok Sabha elections approaching, a review of the situation is must as there are many concerns.”
Rajbhar said that his party workers and those who voted for the party are now asking questions on what the government did for them.
“2017 ke chunao mein jinhone humara sath diya tha yeh umeed karke ki bhala hoga, who janna chahte hain ki majboori kya hai ati-picharon aur daliton ke liye kaam karne main. DM, SSP, CO se BDO ki posting ho, picharon daliton ko kya hissedari mili hai? (Those who supported us in 2017 elections, hoping that they would be benefited, they want to know that what are the constraints in ensuring welfare to the most-backward and Dalits. They ask about the share of backwards and Dalits as DM, SSP, CO and even Block Development officers),” he said.
He claimed officers were presenting incorrect figures before the Chief Minister about benefits accruing to the depressed classes.
“We have called an organisational meeting of our party on March 27 to review and decide on the future. The review would also include that of the one year with the Uttar Pradesh government, what we have achieved and what we have suffered or what is right,” Rajbhar told The Indian Express. “My review, including about alliance as well as future expansion of the party, should not be considered that I am finishing the alliance.”
A few days before the Rajya Sabha polls, Rajbhar had expressed unhappiness with the state government and had threatened to boycott the polls unless BJP national chief Amit Shah met him. It was only when that happened that Rajbhar assured support to the BJP candidate.