Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad with SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar in Lucknow. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Monday met Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar and hinted at the formation of a new political front in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Assembly elections in 2022.
“For an alliance, I would say that anything can happen and there are always possibilities in politics… In the coming days, we will come forward to stop the BJP with a powerful alliance. If we need someone’s help then we will take their help too,” Azad told mediapersons after meeting Rajbhar, who had snapped ties with the BJP in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections last year.
Azad, who had earlier announced to form a new political party much to the chagrin of BSP chief Mayawati, met Rajbhar for nearly half an hour.
Invoking BSP founder Kanshi Ram, Azad said, “As far as the politics of Dalits, Muslims and OBCs is concerned, this is the kind of politics Kanshi Ram ji used to do and it is our responsibility to take it ahead.
Notably, the core voter base of the SBSP is the Rajbhar community, which constitutes around 17-18 per cent of the population in the Purvanchal region. The SBSP wields influence in districts like Ghazipur, Mau, Varanasi, Ballia, Maharajganj and some parts of Shrawasti, Ambedkarnagar, Bahraich and Chandauli.
A leader of SBSP, meanwhile, told PTI that Azad will join an Opposition front — Bhagidaari Sankalp Morcha, a front of eight political parties, led by Rajbhar. “Bhim Army will also be a part of the front and a formal announcement will be made in the next few days. Today’s meeting also deliberated on this,” PTI quoted SBSP general secretary Arvind Rajbhar as saying.
Azad said that the announcement on his own political outfit will be made on March 15, likely in Lucknow. “Several prominent faces, including former MP, MLA and MLCs will be present. There is always a possibility that I can contest against a prominent politician in the elections,” Azad added.
Referring to the poor poll show by the BSP in the past few elections, Azad said, “Mayawati ji cannot do everything on her own. She has been working for a long time. And this is why we are here to help us in the movement. In politics, no one is an enemy for a long time, and with her blessings, we can settle ourselves in power.”