SBSP breaks away from BJP, fields 39 candidates

The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, will contest on 39 Lok Sabha seats separately.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Minister and SBSP President Om Prakash Rajbhar said that he had waited long enough for the BJP to share seats.

"But the BJP gave Apna Dal two seats and none to us. We have influence on 125 Assembly seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh and we are going to contest on our own," he said.

He admitted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had offered him one seat but on its lotus symbol. "I am not going to finish my own party," he said.

Rajbhar has announced candidates against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow among others.

A majority of the candidates he has fielded belong to the Rajbhar, Kol, Patel and Nishad communities - all of which belong to the OBC category.

The SBSP candidates will make a dent in the BJP's vote share since the Rajbhar concentration is sizeable in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

--IANS

amita/mr