Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 18 : UP Minister Sanjay Nishad, the leader of the Nishad Party and a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, has claimed that several opposition leaders, from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress, are in contact with the ruling alliance to switch sides.
Speaking on the recent political shifts and reports of opposition leaders jumping ship, Nishad stated that those who failed to form the government are now facing immense pressure from the public to deliver on their promises.
"People came to form a government, but they couldn't. Now, if they stay outside of power, the public questions them, saying, 'you made promises to us.' Consequently, most of the MPs and MLAs are in touch with us, asking us to somehow take them to Delhi and facilitate a conversation with the central leadership," Nishad told ANI.
When pressed for a specific figure regarding how many opposition MPs are looking to cross over, Nishad provided a rough estimate, stating, "I think there are no less than two dozen as of today."
Elaborating on the background of these leaders, the Nishad Party chief mentioned that many within the Samajwadi Party and Congress still align with the Hindutva ideology.
"Leaving aside those with a specific ideology, everyone who follows the Hindutva ideology wants to join the BJP and do something for their community. That is why they keep meeting us," he added.
Responding to Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav's statement regarding "baseless" exodus of MPs in contact with BJP, Nishad said, "The party might want to stay together, but the individual members want to be with the government. The opposition couldn't form the government, and politicians will naturally stay in touch with whoever is in power so that their political careers remain stable and they can deliver results for society."
Earlier today, Om Prakash Rajbhar took a swipe at the Samajwadi Party (SP), alleging that the top leadership of the party is trying to "save its own life" amidst various CBI investigations.
Speaking to ANI, Rajbhar claimed that the details of a letter recently sent by Ram Gopal Yadav to Union Home Minister Amit Shah are already linked to CBI FIRs involving former minister Gayatri Prajapati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
"The details of the letter sent by Ram Gopal Yadav to Union Home Minister Amit Shah are in the CBI's FIR against Gayatri Prajapati and Akhilesh Yadav. While Gayatri is in jail, Akhilesh Yadav is currently out. Furthermore, Ram Gopal Yadav's son, Shivpal Yadav and his sons, and several other family members are involved in the Gomti River Front case. Therefore, the Samajwadi Party has released that list only to save its own life," Rajbhar said.
Further targeting the internal stability of the Samajwadi Party, the Minister claimed that a massive exodus is imminent within the opposition camp.
Referring to a recent statement by Akhilesh Yadav regarding MLAs and MLCS switching sides, Rajbhar alleged that the SP chief is losing his grip on the party.
"I read Akhilesh Yadav's statement yesterday, where he said that the BJP has broken their MLCs and MLAs. He said that in the coming days, those who are weal and cowardly will be broken. The reality is that apart from 4-5 members of their own family--whether it's Dharmendra, Akhilesh, Dimple, or the sons of Ram Gopal and Shivpal--everyone else is ready to abandon them," Rajbhar claimed.