"Not Just UP... Also Star Of Bihar": BJP Ally Om Prakash Rajbhar's Warning

NDTV

2 days ago

New Delhi:
Om Prakash Rajbhar isn't a familiar name to casual observers of Indian politics.
Yet Mr Rajbhar is a two-time MLA and a former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister, who many will know as an outspoken personality and an influential grassroots leader in eastern UP.
And he is now turning his attention further east, to Bihar.
In a fiery and candid 15-minute exclusive with NDTV, Mr Rabjhar made a series of bold claims - including an intention to dominate - about the political landscape in the poll-bound state.
"I will contest 30 seats in Bihar. But, if we are not given a respectable number, then all options are open. My party is even prepared to contest 150 seats even if it helps or hurts the NDA."
Mr Rajbhar's Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party is a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance that controls the federal and Bihar governments, and his declaration on NDTV signals an additional worry for the NDA ahead of the Bihar Assembly election in November.
The BJP is already grappling with a Chirag Paswan-sized problem.
Tthe Lok Janshakti Party leader - whose relationship with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is tenuous - said last month his party intends to contest all 243 seats on its own, setting up a potential vote-cut situation.
There was a U-turn of sorts - likely after pressure from above, i.e., the BJP - this week after he said the ruling alliance would win and that Nitish Kumar would remain Chief Minister.
That issue settled, for now, the BJP will likely turn its attention to Mr Rajbhar and discontent brewing over seat-share talks for the Bihar election. It is unlikely, even improbable, that Om Prakash Rajbhar's SBSP will be allotted 30 (of Bihar's 243) seats outside its home state.
But the threat of going solo (or allying with another party, which, in effect, would mean joining the opposition Mahagathbandhan bloc) and the resulting splitting of votes, however, marginal, that will follow places pressure on the BJP and its alliance-handling before the election.
Remember, this is a state the BJP and its allies won by the narrowest of margins in 2020.
The BJP-Janata Dal United of Nitish Kumar finished just three seats over the majority mark after a strong show by the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Mr Rajbhar did not tell NDTV which parties he was in talks with, but his tone suggested that negotiations have not, so far, yielded satisfactory results. So that's good news for the BJP.
However, his confidence also suggests the SBSP is prepped to contest solo.
Division within the BJP-led alliance in Bihar has been a recurring theme in the run-up to this election, with Nitish Kumar the frequent target. The BJP has insisted, repeatedly, the JDU boss remains its frontman, but that vote of confidence has been unsatisfactory.
Speaking to NDTV, Mr Rajbhar joined Chirag Paswan in criticising Nitish Kumar over the law and order situation in a state that has seen a shocking number of murders in the past weeks.
"Nitish Kumar should implement the Yogi (i.e., UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) model in Bihar... the state's current governance model has failed," he declared.
The Nitish-Yogi comparison is significant.
Mr Rajbhar has seen the Yogi Adityanath administration from close quarters, but the praise has been seen as a nudge to the BJP - that he is willing to remain within the NDA fold.
But he also made it clear to NDTV the SBSP's support in Bihar will come at a cost.
Mr Rajbhar accused the BJP-JDU of neglecting Bihar's extremely backward communities. "I have come to change that..." he said, serving up a clear hint of his political pitch and platform.
In UP, the SBSP has traditionally positioned itself as representing the interests of backward and marginalised castes and communities. And Mr Rajbhar seems set to carry that over to Bihar.
His comments reflect simmering discontent among some communities in Bihar, who believe politicians seek their votes but do not provide proportional representation or policy benefits.
And Mr Rajbhar believes he can fill that gap, that disconnect.
In one of the interview's standout remarks, he told NDTV, "I am not just a leader of UP... I am not just a leader of Purvanchal. I am Bihar's actor - its star. I will prove that this election."
This is not, on the face of it, an assertion without reason.
Mr Rajbhar's appeal extends from eastern UP across the border to Bihar, particularly among economically disadvantaged groups. And this has grown over the past few years.
Consistent public outreach and fiery speeches have gained him a small but solid base.
By calling himself 'Bihar's star', he is also trying to push past a 'fringe player' tag.
'Om Prakash Rajbhar is in Bihar permanently', he wants to tell voters.
But there is one issue that needs to addressed for this to stick - criticism that he is a political opportunist, rising from his jump to the Samajwadi Party-led alliance in 2021/22.
"People call me 'turncoat'... but aren't all political parties the same?" he countered and pointed out an inescapable truth - that political alliances and ideologies are different beasts.
The former changes depending on complicated voter arithmetic.
He also pointed out that national parties routinely jump alliances.
Will the SBSP and Mr Rajbhar actually contest the Bihar election? Will he get 30 seats with the NDA or fight on 150 on his own? Unknown. What is clear is he wants to play it big in Bihar.
And his influence over grassroots voters, amplified by powerful rhetoric, makes him an interesting ally for either of the big blocs in this election.