India News | Rajbhar Natural Ally of BJP: UP Minister
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Amid reports of former minister Om Prakash Rajbhar cosying up with the ruling BJP, Uttar Pradesh minister Daya Shankar Singh on Tuesday said the SBSP president is ideologically close to the BJP.
Ballia (UP), Dec 20 (PTI) Amid reports of former minister Om Prakash Rajbhar cosying up with the ruling BJP, Uttar Pradesh minister Daya Shankar Singh on Tuesday said the SBSP president is ideologically close to the BJP.
Singh was speaking on the sidelines of a children's sports competition programme at the district headquarters.
"Rajbhar is an old ally of the BJP. He has been a minister in the BJP government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are taking his thinking forward," Singh said.
"Anything can happen in politics. There are no permanent friends and enemies in politics. Decision is taken according to time and circumstances," he added.
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Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar is a strong backward leader with influence in eastern UP districts.
He had fought the 2017 assembly election in the state as a BJP candidate and was also a minister in the first Yogi Adityanath-led government before splitting and joining the SP-led alliance in the run up to this year's assembly polls in which his party had won six seats.
Since BJP's coming to power in the state again, Rajbhar's has been said to be showing proximity to the ruling party.
Besides, he has been openly criticising the SP leadership, also advising its president Akhilesh Yadav to go among the people and instead of doing politics from "air-conditioned rooms."
Earlier, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak had called Rajbhar "a permanent friend" and a "leader of the masses."
Pathak and Rajbhar had shared the dais in Ballia in October for the inaugural of a private hospital.
During the ceremony, Rajbhar had praised the Yogi Adityanath government, crediting him with the improvement of the state of government hospitals.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)