Presidential elections: Giving jolt to Akhilesh Yadav's SP, alliance partner SBSP goes with NDA’s Droupadi Murmu

Lucknow: Fissures erupted in the alliance of opposition parties led by Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh with two of its partners deciding to support National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.

Giving a severe jolt to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, the major alliance partner Suheldeo Rajbhar Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) on Friday announced its support to NDA’s Murmu. Earlier another alliance partner Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) chief Shivpal Yadav too had given support to NDA’s Droupadi Murmu. The SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar made this announcement at a press conference in Lucknow on Friday. However, he said that decision to break the alliance with Akhilesh Yadav is yet not taken and he is still with him.

Both Shivpal and Om Prakash Rajbhar had attended the dinner hosted by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to garner support for NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu early this week. The PSPL and SBSP were not in good terms with alliance big brother SP chief Akhilesh Yadav ever since the assembly polls were over. Both parties have been accusing Akhilesh Yadav of not taking them into confidence while taking major decisions regarding the alliance.

While addressing a press conference on Friday, Om Prakash Rajbhar said that he and five other legislators of the party would vote for Droupadi Murmu on July 18. The SBSP has six while PSL has the lone legislator in the UP state assembly. The SBSP chief said that his party is still part of the SP alliance and would continue if Akhilesh Yadav wishes so. He said that the intention is to contest the 2024 parliament elections in the alliance but it depends on Akhilesh Yadav to keep the flock together.

Expressing annoyance over Akhilesh Yadav for not inviting him to the joint press conference with UPA candidate Yashwant Sinha, Om Prakash Rajbhar said that perhaps the SP chief did not want so. He said that UP CM Yogi Adityanath had invited him for the dinner hosted for Droupadi Murmu and Home Minister Amit Shah had called him to seek support. However, Akhilesh Yadav did not bother to even consult him for Yashwant Sinha. He said that after getting no response from SP chief, he decided to extend support to the NDA candidate.