Om Prakash Rajbhar's SBSP releases list of 39 candidates in UP, fields Surendra Kumar Rajbhar against PM Modi

The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a dissenting ally of the BJP, which decided to go alone in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday fielded candidates on 39 seats in the state. The party has fielded Surendra Kumar Rajbhar against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi constituency. 

Earlier, the party had announced Siddharth Rajbhar's name as SBSP's candidate to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls against PM Modi in Varanasi. But later, the party had to replace him due to his age.

Addressing the media, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said that his party is ready for alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections in the state but it will not contest on the latter's symbol, as offered by the saffron party. 

“We fought the 2017 assembly polls with the BJP and got them votes on 125 seats in Purvanchal. I was made a minister in the government, we raised the issues of poor and underprivileged,” he said.

“Today also, we want to fight the elections with the BJP. BJP gave Apna Dal two seats and not even a single seat to us. And they are asking us to fight on their symbol. But we will not do so to end our party,” Rajbhar added.

Rajbhar, who had on Monday said that his party will field 25 candidates in Uttar Pradesh, further said his party will field candidates from every section of society. 

“Now we will field our candidates on 39 seats. SP, BSP and BJP did not give ticket to a single candidate from Rajbhar community. If it is about rights of the poor, not only resignation, we are ready to give our lives also. I am ready with the resignation, the chief minister doesn’t have time. I will resign as soon as I meet him,” he said.

The SBSP had won four seats in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. For the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had proposed to field an SBSP candidate on its symbol, which was disapproved by Rajbhar. He insisted to use his party symbol even if the SBSP got just one seat to contest.