LUCKNOW: Six-time independent MLA from Kunda constituency,
Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias
Raja Bhaiya has now approached the Election Commission to float a new party, likely to be called
Jansatta. The controversial politician enjoyed proximity to the
Samajwadi Party's first family until this year's nail-biting
Rajya Sabha elections in the state that saw a photo-finish for the BJP.
His public relations officer Gyanendra Singh said that Raja Bhaiya would officially announce the party on November 30, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of his entry into politics.
SP proximity with BSP was a trigger
Gyanendra also confirmed that SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav was “no longer receptive” to Raja Bhaiya after the adverse results of Rajya Sabha election saw victory for additional BJP candidate at the cost of BSP nominee, who was supported by SP.
But he also said that SP’s growing proximity with BSP was one of the triggers behind Raja Bhaiya’s decision to float a new party.
“A big event has been planned in Lucknow on November 30, keeping with the silver jubilee celebrations of Raja Bhaiya's political career. We will announce the party there. We have made several overtures to SP in the past few months but the response has been tepid. Hence this move,” said Gyanendra.
“Whatever Akhilesh says or does, he is simply following Mayawati’s command. Whether it is deserting Congress in MP or elsewhere, or engaging with like-minded parties,” he said. In March, Raja Bhaiya’s unwillingness to support BSP-SP-Congress Rajya Sabha candidate became apparent as he repeatedly mentioned the POTA case under which he was booked during Mayawati’s tenure. As a result, second preference votes by Raja Bhaiya and his aide Vinod Narang reportedly helped BJP candidate businessman Anil Aggarwal. Following the defeat, Akhilesh deleted his ‘Thank you’ tweet that he had posted for Raja Bhaiya a day earlier.
Raja Bhaiya's aide refused to reveal whether their new party would support Yadav family rebel Shivpal or BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.