Hopeful of becoming minister in Adityanath govt this week, says SBSP chief Rajbhar

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday expressed the hope of becoming a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government this week and also claimed the victory of NDA candidates on all the 80 seats of Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the Vanchit Shoshit Haq Adhikar rally in Sikandarpur of the district, he said, ''Purvanchal state will be formed after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After that you all will be the chief minister and your government will be formed.'' Rajbhar said, ''In the most populous Uttar Pradesh, the Dalits, the deprived and the exploited have not got their full rights yet. For this, it is necessary that a uniform education system be implemented in the entire country.'' SBSP is a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Since Rajbhar, who was part of the Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance in the 2022 assembly elections in UP, returned to the NDA a few months ago, there is constant speculation about his becoming a minister in the state government led by Yogi Adityanath.

Rajbhar, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the SBSP's rally, expressed the hope of becoming a minister this week.

He said, ''Your feelings will be fulfilled this week.'' Rajbhar has already claimed many times of becoming a minister.

There are indications of cabinet expansion before the Lok Sabha elections in UP. Political experts believe that there will soon be an expansion in the cabinet of Yogi Adityanath and some new faces including Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which became a part of NDA, former minister Dara Singh Chauhan, who left SP and joined BJP and Rajbhar could be included in it.

The SBSP chief contested the 2017 assembly elections with the NDA and also became a minister in the first government led by Yogi. But after some differences, he resigned from the post of minister and broke ties with the NDA.

Taking aim at SP national president Akhilesh Yadav, Rajbhar said till now the principal opposition party has broken its alliance with different parties nine times, but no one questions him but SBSP is facing problems for changing sides only twice.

Rajbhar expressed resolve to ensure victory of NDA candidates on all 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP.

He said, ''Our target is to win 80 seats. Whichever candidate contests from NDA, we will make Modi ji the prime minister by making him win again.''