The BJP’s key allies in Uttar Pradesh, the Apna Dal and the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, have expressed “displeasure” with it for allegedly not taking care of its alliance partners and said they were “open” to taking their own course of action in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election.
‘Free to make decisions’
While the Apna Dal said it was “free to make its own decision”, the SBSP went a step ahead asserting that its option to join the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in the State for the upcoming general election was open.
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“Some differences cropped up between the Apna Dal and the BJP. We had given them time till February 20 to resolve the issues, but there is no answer from the BJP. It appears they are not interested in taking care of their allies,” Apna Dal leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel said in Bareilly on Friday.
“Now, the Apna Dal is free to make its own decision. A party meeting has been called to chalk out our future course of action,” she said.
The party, a crucial ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, had won two seats — Mirzapur and Pratapgarh — in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
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In Ballia, Uttar Pradesh Minister and SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Friday accused the BJP of creating confusion and not fulfilling his party’s demands.
The SBSP, which has four MLAs in the 403-member Assembly, had contested the Uttar Pradesh civic polls separately.
Mr. Rajbhar said he was in talks with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, SP president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, and a decision on retaining or severing ties with the saffron party would be taken after February 24. Asked about the possibility of him parting ways with the BJP, he said, “The option of tying up with the SP-BSP alliance or with any other party is open. We can go anywhere.”