Lucknow: Om Prakash Rajbhar, a minister in Uttar Pradesh and chief of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is keeping political observers guessing.
Videos of him praising Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati as she prepares to revive her party, starting with a rally in Lucknow on 9 October, are viral on social media, sparking speculation about his next move before the assembly elections due in 2027.
“Mayawati was an efficient ruler. Even today, people ask me about her rule, and I tell them that during her tenure, officials were so disciplined that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa,” Rajbhar said in viral clips of an interview. If you visit any Dalit colony, nine out of 10 people will say they vote for the BSP,” he added. According to him, officials were always on alert during her surprise visits to districts or villages, and this constant vigilance pushed the bureaucracy to work collectively and swiftly on development projects.
A senior functionary in Rajbhar’s party told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity that his statements are always part of a calculated political strategy.
“He never wants to shut any doors. At times, he praises Mayawati, sometimes he highlights negligence by local officials, and at other times, he targets Akhilesh just to remind the Samajwadi Party of his importance. It’s all political strategy,” the leader said.
Rajbhar’s shifting alliances reflect this approach. He was with the BJP in 2017, joined hands with the Samajwadi Party for the 2022 assembly polls, and returned to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) soon after the elections.
Another party functionary suggested that Rajbhar’s remarks might signal a possible BSP-SBSP alliance in the future, should the situation demand it.
Rajbhar, who rose from the BSP’s political ranks, appears to be attempting a new social equation between Dalits and the EBCs (Extremely Backward Classes), the party leader said.
“If this combination holds until 2027, it will be interesting to see who gains and who loses. For now, we cannot say much since we are part of the party, but we know our leader understands politics well; he knows how to bargain in the current scenario,” the functionary added.
While speaking to ThePrint, Rajbhar maintained that he stood by his remarks, saying he had said nothing wrong. His son and party spokesperson, Arun Rajbhar, backed him, asserting, “Whatever my father has said is true. He has worked with Kanshi Ram ji and Mayawati in the past, so he understands their politics well.”
Arun further clarified that being in alliance with the BJP does not mean they cannot praise others. “At least we are not praising Akhilesh, who is the main rival,” he said, adding that since Akhilesh keeps insulting his father, the public would once again teach him a lesson in 2027.
Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at Om Prakash Rajbhar this week, saying that he could send him Rs 100 as a birthday gift. Rajbhar hit back, saying that since Akhilesh has been out of power for eight years, perhaps his bank balance was running low. He further alleged that during the SP’s tenure, governance was largely dominated by Yadavs.
The ruling BJP understood Rajbhar’s pressure tactics and did not react to his statements.
According to Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi, “There is no problem in the alliance. We are completely united. Whatever O.P. Rajbhar or Sanjay Nishad say is their personal opinion and has nothing to do with the alliance.”
Also Read: UP ministers vs civil servants, again: What’s behind Yogi govt’s latest warning to bureaucracy
Journey from BSP to BJP ally
Rajbhar began his political career with the BSP in the early 1990s. In 2002, he formed his own party, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and has been contesting elections in Uttar Pradesh since then.
His first alliance with the BJP was during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but he did not win any seats. In 2017, he became MLA for the first time by winning the Zahoorabad seat in Ballia. The SBSP, which was then allied with the BJP, won four out of the eight seats it contested, after which Rajbhar was made a minister in the Yogi government.
He quit the Yogi cabinet after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In October 2021, he teamed up with the Samajwadi Party. In the 2022 UP assembly elections, his party did better than in 2017, winning six seats—two in Ghazipur and one each in Ballia, Mau, Jaunpur and Basti.
But this tie-up also didn’t last long, and he broke the alliance with the SP in July 2022 citing differences in opinion. Nearly a year later, he returned to the NDA camp.
Significance of Rajbhars in UP
The Rajbhars are a caste found across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Traditionally labourers, they were influenced by the Arya Samaj movement. In Uttar Pradesh, they are classified as OBCs and are concentrated primarily in the eastern part of the state.
Political scientist Professor Kaviraj from Lucknow University said that the Rajbhars form an important chunk of non-Yadav OBCs in Uttar Pradesh. He added that non-Yadav OBC communities such as Kurmis, Mauryas, Kashyaps, Nishads, Rajbhars, Binds and Prajapatis hold significant influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Among them, the Rajbhars are influential in nearly 30 seats. Similarly, the Nishads are equally important. Keeping themselves in the limelight, therefore, gives them more bargaining power in any alliance.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)