2 BJP allies in Uttar Pradesh clamour for more

Lucknow: The two BJP allies in Uttar Pradesh — Apna Dal and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party are now demanding their pound of flesh in the upcoming municipal elections. Both the parties want to contest maximum seats in eastern UP which is also their area of influence.

According to sources, the SBSP wants to contest in 14 wards in Varanasi while the Apna Dal has candidates ‘ready’ to contest in 35 wards in Varanasi. “We want to field candidates in at least 25 wards in Varanasi. We also have candidates for the mayor’s post but that will be decided later”, said the Apna Dal district president Ajit Patel.

The SBSP, on the other hand, is not only keen to contest in Varanasi but is also demanding a share in Ballia, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.

SBSP general secretary Shashi Pratap Singh said that “We will field candidates in five wards each in Ghazipur, Mau and Azamgarh while our candidate will be up for the post of municipal council chairman in Ballia. We are contesting in 14 wards in Varanasi and will support BJP in the remaining wards”. These demands by the allies have put the BJP in a piquant situation because the party is already flooded with applications from candidates for the municipal elections.

“Varanasi is PM Narendra Modi’s constituency and we cannot yield ground beyond a point to the allies,” said a party functionary.

Every seat matters in Varanasi and it is unfair of the allies to make these announcements even before waiting for the final word from the BJP leadership”, said a party functionary. The BJP leader also said that the municipal elections were an ‘election of prestige’ for the BJP since these were the first polls after the formation of the Yogi Adityanath government in UP. “For us, every seat matters and we cannot give seats to allies unless we are sure of their performance”, he said. The BJP, however, cannot snap ties with the allies, since both represent strong OBC caste groups and their support will be crucial for the 2019 polls. The Apna Dal and the SBSP have already caused considerable embarrassment to the BJP in recent days.  The Apna Dal had announced a fast in protest against the attacks on party workers and the deteriorating law and order situation. The programme was withdrawn on Monday after the state government transferred the district magistrate and SSP of Allahabad. Union minister Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal) claimed that it was under her party’s pressure that the two officials were shifted. SBSP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has also been creating one controversy after another. He announced a dharna for the removal of Ghazipur district magistrate and then declared that parents who do not send their children to school would be jailed. Then the minister hit the headlines when his car mowed down a child and he sped away without ensuring medical attention for the victim.