UP's OP Rajbhar returns to NDA as BJP expands in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar ahead of 2024 LS polls

Aditi Tandon

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New Delhi, July 16

The former NDA ally Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) on Sunday returned to the alliance fold ahead of the July 18 meeting of the National Democratic Alliance to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

OP Rajbhar, the founder of SBSP, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here today and announced the return to the NDA.

Rajbhar had contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party.

“Met Shri @oprajbhar ji in Delhi and decided to join the NDA alliance led by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. I welcome him to the NDA family. The arrival of Rajbhar ji will strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh and the efforts being made by the NDA under the leadership of Modi ji for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden will get further strength,” Shah tweeted.

Rajbhar could join the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP Government in UP and his son Arvind Rajbhar could be offered a Lok Sabha ticket.

The BJP is working to expand NDA ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Apart from the current 18 constituents of the BJP-led NDA, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, HAM chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, NCP’s Ajit Pawar and OP Rajbhar of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party in UP will also attend the July 18 NDA meeting in Delhi.

The BJP is also in talks with the Shiromani Akali Dal, though it is unclear if the SAD has been invited for the July 18 meeting where some other non-NDA leaders will come.

Sources on both sides (BJP and Congress) cite the 2004 LS poll experience to hammer the importance of alliances.

It was the year when the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress, with 145 Lok Sabha seats—just seven more than BJP’s 138—wrested power at the Centre having stitched together a workable alliance of pan India parties under the UPA.

The 2024 LS polls could also pose challenges for both sides, which are preparing for all eventualities.

Outcomes next year would depend largely on which way the three big states tilt—UP (with 80 Lok Sabha seats); Maharashtra (48 seats) and Bihar (40 seats).

In all three, the BJP has struck new alliances—LJP (Ram Vilas) and HAM in Bihar; OP Rajbhar’s SBSP in UP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP in Maharashtra.

Current NDA parties are 18: BJP; Shivsena (Shinde); National People’s Party, Meghalaya; Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party; Sikkim Krantikari Morcha; JJP; AIADMK; IMKMK; All Jharkhand Students Union; RPI; Mizo National Front; Tamil Maanila Congress; ITFT (Tripura); Bodo People’s Party; Pattali Makkal Katchi; Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party; Apna Dal; Asom Gana Parishad.

The new NDA allies are LJP (Ram Vilas); Hindustani Awam Morcha in Bihar; NCP Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra; OP Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party in UP.

श्री @oprajbhar जी से दिल्ली में भेंट हुई और उन्होंने प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व वाले NDA गठबंधन में आने का निर्णय लिया। मैं उनका NDA परिवार में स्वागत करता हूँ।

राजभर जी के आने से उत्तर प्रदेश में एनडीए को मजबूती मिलेगी और मोदी जी के नेतृत्व में एनडीए द्वारा… pic.twitter.com/uLnbgJedbF

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 16, 2023