With an eye fixed on the OBC voters that play a key function within the polls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the UP-based Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Get together (SBSP)’s president Om Prakash Rajbhar has been main a month-long “Savdhan rath yatra” throughout the 2 states.
Rajbhar’s yatra, which was kicked off from Lucknow on September 26, will conclude on October 27, the SBSP’s twentieth basis day, with a rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
Curiously, Rajbhar’s yatra has been concentrating on the Samajwadi Get together (SP), Bahujan Samaj Get together (BSP), Janata Dal (U), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress — all of whom are the opponents of the BJP.
Whereas the JD(U) is seeking to develop its footprint in UP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by becoming a member of arms with the SP and its smaller allies like Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), the SBSP’s aggressive yatra might damage them in sure pockets of japanese UP and Bihar whereas giving benefit to the BJP. “SBSP on this yatra is attempting to make OBCs cautious about these events who present considerations for the rights of those communities solely when they’re within the Opposition however neglect about their considerations and guarantees when they’re in energy,” mentioned SBSP spokesperson Arun Rajbhar.
The SBSP had contested the 2022 UP Meeting elections in alliance with the SP, with the celebration successful six of the 19 seats it had fought and Om Prakash Rajbhar successful his election from Zahoorabad. Nonetheless, after the polls Rajbhar had began criticising SP president Akhilesh Yadav, at the same time as SBSP MLAs indulged in cross-voting in help of the BJP-led NDA’s nominee Droupadi Murmu within the presidential election. Subsequently, the 2 allies parted methods.
The SBSP had contested the 2017 UP Meeting polls in alliance with the BJP and had received 4 seats. Rajbhar was inducted into the Yogi Adityanath cupboard however he resigned and broke up with the saffron celebration a few years later over “OBC points”.
Referring to Rajbhar’s ongoing yatra, the SBSP leaders declare that it will cross by means of all 75 districts of UP and 38 districts of Bihar. The SBSP has constituted state groups to take out yatra by means of totally different areas of each the states. In Bihar, state celebration chief Uday Narayan Rajbhar is doing it. Om Prakash Rajbhar will deal with a rally in Bihar’s Katihar district on October 14.
On the Yatra’s goals, the SBSP spokesman mentioned, “In Bihar, RJD was earlier demanding caste census when it was within the Opposition. JD(U) too was advocating for caste-based census when it was with BJP. However after JD(U) give up NDA and fashioned authorities with RJD, each JD(U) and RJD have develop into silent on the difficulty. We’re making OBC and all different disadvantaged sections cautious about such events in Bihar. Difficulty shall be raised at a grand rally in Patna on October 27.”
In UP, Arun mentioned, the SP and the BSP had been sustaining silence on the SBSP’s demand for implementation of advice of the OBC Social Justice Committee. In its suggestions, the committee, constituted in 2018, had favoured the division of backward castes in three classes, “pichda (backward), ati picchda (extraordinarily backward) and sarvadhik picchda (most backward)”.
The SBSP has been going mushy on the BJP in the middle of the yatra. When requested that the celebration’s marketing campaign in opposition to the SP, BSP, JD(U), RJD and Congress might assist the BJP within the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Arun mentioned, “The pursuits of the society is top-most precedence for us.” He mentioned that when the SBSP chief had met CM Adityanath on September 20 to press for the inclusion of “Bhar and Rajbhar” communities within the Scheduled Tribes (STs) class, the CM had give him a “optimistic assurance”. He additionally mentioned that Rajbhar has additionally determined to name on the President, Prime Minister and Union Residence Minister to boost this difficulty.
“We’re not concentrating on the BJP as a result of BJP (authorities) is anxious about our points like inclusion of Bhar and Rajbhar communities in STs, examination of suggestions of the Social Justice Committee and evaluation of illustration of OBCs in authorities departments,” Arun mentioned.
A Social Justice Committee arrange by the then Chief Minister Rajnath Singh in 2001 had estimated the OBCs to be 43.13% of UP’s inhabitants. Amongst OBCs, the report estimated Yadavs to be 19.4%, Kurmis 7.46%, Kachhi-Kushwaha-Shakya-Maurya-Saini-Mali 6.69%, Lodhs 4.9%, Jats 3.6%, Kewat (Nishad) 4.33%, Shepherd-Pal-Baghel 4.43%, Kahar-Kashyap 3.31%, and Bhar-Rajbhar 2.44%.