SP-ally OP Rajbhar’s Party To Support NDA’s Prez Candidate Droupadi Murmu
Mumbai: In another blow to the opposition ahead of the presidential election, Samajwadi Party ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Friday confirmed his support for NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.
Rajbhar, who announced his decision this morning, denied any rift in his party’s alliance with the Samajwadi Party, which has promised support to joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.
SBSP has 6 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Rajbhar said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked him to support the NDA candidate in the presidential election to be held on July 18.
“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had invited us for dinner to discuss extending support to Murmu. He said that since I was vocal on issues relating to the backward classes, Dalits and minorities, I should support Murmu’s candidature. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to me after July 12 and said the same things,” Rajbar said addressing a press conference here today.
“Shah urged me to support Murmu in the elections and I decided that my party will support her,” the SBSP chief added.
Rajbhar had joined hands with the BJP before the 2017 assembly elections and parted ways with it.
He had joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led alliance ahead of the 2022 assembly elections in the state. Rajbhar had recently said that he would decide whether to support Murmu or opposition-backed presidential candidate Yashwant Singh in a few days, while also suggesting “all is well” in the Samajwadi Party-led alliance.
However, the SBSP chief expressed dissatisfaction over not inviting Akhilesh Yadav to the meeting held on July 7.
He said, “Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting on July 7 but did not call me. Apart from us, other colleagues including Jayant Chaudhary were called to the meeting. We are still with the alliance. Rest will be decided in the future,” he said.
Recently, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav extended his support to NDA-backed presidential candidate Murmu.
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav, who had a pact with his nephew ahead of the assembly elections, alleged that the SP is weakening and many of its leaders are leaving because of Akhilesh Yadav’s “political immaturity”.
Shivpal’s remarks came a day after, he attended a dinner party hosted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for Murmu at his official residence in Lucknow.
The dinner was attended by opposition party leaders Jansatta Dal leader Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias ‘Raja Bhaiya’, BSP leader Uma Shankar Singh and the SBSP chief among others.
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