Akhilesh, Mayawati don't know much about Dalits and backward castes in UP: Rajbhar

Nimbly crisscrossing political lines, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar is the BJP's disgruntled ally in Uttar Pradesh who proclaimed his support for the SP-BSP and now seems disenchanted with the 'mahagathbandhan' too.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati don't even know the number of backwards and Dalits in the state, Rajbhar told PTI.

The Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), the BJP's ally in Uttar Pradesh, is contesting against the saffron party.

The party, which has influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh, is contesting 35 seats and has extended support to the grand alliance in Maharajganj, Bansgaon and Sant Kabir Nagar and to the Congress in Mirzapur.

Rajbhar, who is still a cabinet minister in the BJP-led government in the state, said he will take a final call on his party's alliance with the BJP after the polls.

In a disparaging reference to Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, Rajbhar said, "They don't even know how many Dalits and backwards castes are in the state. They claim to be leaders of these two sections of the society but they don't know much about them."
"I had demanded only one seat from BJP but even that was denied, so we were left with no other option."