This BJP ally wants to vote for Congress in Uttar Pradesh

SBSP backs Tripathi in U.P.’s Mirzapur

SBSP leader Om Prakash Rajbhar

In a fresh display of rebellion, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, on Monday declared support to the Congress in Mirzapur, which abuts Varanasi.

The SBSP, after months of acrimony with the BJP, in the middle of the elections in April announced it would go it alone in the poll fray.

The SBSP headed by Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is a Cabinet Minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, also released a list of more than 40 candidates for seats in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phases.

The Congress’ Lalitesh Tripathi is locked in a three-way battle in Mirzapur with Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal, an ally of the BJP, and Ram Charitra Nishad of the Samajwadi Party.

Arun Rajbhar, SBSP general secretary, said the party extended support to the Congress as it agreed with it on some issues and also due to its old relationship with the candidate.

‘Justice for the poor’

“There was not so much injustice against the poor during the Congress rule. Not so much dictatorship. And the poor would get justice. The schemes they ran would reach the people on the ground,” Mr. Rajbhar told The Hindu .

The party has fielded candidates against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow and Union Minister Manoj Sinha in Ghazipur.

Mr. Rajbhar has been on a collision course with the BJP for the last one year largely over his demand of sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes’ quota.