Om Prakash Rajbhar said that BJP will not cross double-figure in eastern Uttar Pradesh
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party's (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Thursday claimed that the departure of BJP in Uttar Pradesh was imminent. SBSP has formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh polls.
"The departure of BJP is imminent... At 10 am on March 10, songs that will play, are Mere angne mein tumhara kya kaam hai and chal sanyasi mandir mein," Mr Rajbhar said at a public rally.
The SBSP chief has repeatedly asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not be able to cross double-figure in eastern Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday, the leader said that the BJP is fighting for its existence in this election.
"The BJP is fighting for its existence in this election. It has become so frustrated that for the first time in the history of the country a prime minister had to go on district-wise tours campaigning for the BJP," he said.
The final phase of polling for the 403-seat UP Legislative Assembly will be held on March 7. Voting will be held on eight assembly seats in Varanasi. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
In 2017, out of the eight assembly seats in Varanasi, the BJP had won six while its partner Apna Dal (S) had bagged one and another one had gone to Rajbhar's SBSP who was with them that time.
The BJP had tied up with Mr Rajbhar's party in the lead-up to the 2017 assembly election in Uttar Pradesh. The SBSP contested eight seats and won four. Mr Rajbhar was made a cabinet minister in the UP government. But just months down the line, the leader started accusing the Yogi Adityanath government of neglecting and sidelining his party.
He was dropped from the cabinet a day after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls concluded. During the Lok Sabha poll campaign, Mr Rajbhar had said that the BJP members should be "thrashed" with shoes.