Blow to BJP as OP Rajbhar's SBSP decides to go it alone in Uttar Pradesh

The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, on Monday said it will go alone in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the state.

"The SBSP will contest the Lok Sabha election on its own. It will field candidates from 25 seats (in Uttar Pradesh) and their names will be announced soon," party chief and state minister Om Prakash Rajbhar told reporters at his residence here.

The SBSP had won four seats in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

However, hours after SBSP's announement, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya asserted that the SBSP will remain in alliance with the BJP in the state.

Rajbhar said there was a meeting on the alliance at the chief minister's residence on April 13, in which Union minister JP Nadda was also present.

At that meeting, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had proposed to field an SBSP candidate on its symbol, which was disapproved by him, Rajbhar added.

He insisted to use his party symbol even if the SBSP got just one seat to contest.

The Uttar Pradesh minister for backward class welfare and divyangjan empowerment said he had sought time from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but was yet to get an appointment.

Rajbhar also said if the BJP wanted to remove him from the council of ministers, it could do so.

Meanwhile, Rajbhar's son and SBSP general secretary Arun Rajbhar said, "The alliance with the BJP is for the Assembly polls and not for Lok Sabha elections."

(With PTI inputs)