Will support BSP, non-Congress, non-BJP parties: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad said Monday his outfit would support parties such as the Bahujan Samaj Party in the upcoming general election. "We will not allow the Congress and the BJP rule alternatively (in the country)... The third front will rise and we will strengthen the Bahujan movement. We will also make the BSP go back to 'Bahujan hitaya' from 'Sarvjan hitaya'," Azad, who is also known as Ravan, said at the 'Agenda Aaj Tak' event in New Delhi.

  Asked about which party the Bhim Army would support in the 2019 parliamentary polls, Azad said, "There are the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh, Tejashwi (Yadav's) party (RJD) in Bihar, (and) Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). I will find others in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh."

The Dalit leader said he would unite the Bahujan parties in the run up to the Lok Sabha election and remove the Narendra Modi government from power at the Centre. The Bhim Army chief denied that he was causing any "split" in the Dalit politics of the country.

"I am not involved with politics at present. I am trying to strengthen the Bahujan movement across the country," Azad said, adding that he was focused on floating a pan-Indian students' wing in the coming days. The young Dalit leader accused the BJP of doing caste-based politics of the "highest" level.

Azad was arrested in connection with the caste violence in his home district of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh last year. He was released from jail in September.