With the BJP’s Bihar-based allies Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) and the Janata Dal (United) looking to explore their options in Uttar Pradesh with months to go for the Assembly elections early next year, the party’s existing allies in the state have signalled that they will not welcome such moves.
This comes a day before Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan is scheduled to launch the party’s “Nav Sankalpa Mahasabha” campaign from Varanasi on Thursday. JD(U) leader and Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar, the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is also expected to visit Uttar Pradesh soon to address party workers.
The developments have triggered a sharp response from the Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an NDA ally which has indicated that it will oppose the Bihar-based parties’ attempts to expand in the state.
“When we were not allowed to be part of the NDA in Bihar, we will not allow Bihar’s entry into Uttar Pradesh. No matter which party it is. If that happens, the Suheldev Party will consider other options,” SBSP national general secretary Arvind Rajbhar has said.
The statement points to a potential tussle within the NDA over political space and the distribution of seats in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the elections.
For the SBSP, the issue is not merely about the expansion of individual parties but also the political treatment of NDA partners across states. The party had sought to contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections as part of the NDA but was denied. It subsequently contested select seats in Bihar independently and extended support to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), but failed to make a significant electoral impact. The latest warning suggests that the party may seek to use its position in UP to negotiate its position if the LJP (RV) and the JD(U) attempt to expand their footprint in the state.
The challenge for the BJP is to manage the competing ambitions of its allies without allowing it to affect the broader alliance.
Sources said BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who is in Gorakhpur for a two-day visit, is expected to meet MLAs from allies Apna Dal (Soneylal) and NISHAD Party in the region. Apna Dal MLA Vinay Verma (he represents Shohratgarh) is expected to attend the meeting along with the NISHAD Party’s legislators Anil Kumar Tripathi (Mehdawal), Rishi Tripathi (Nautanwa), Sarvan Kumar Nishad (Chauri Chaura), Viveka Nand Pandey (Khadda), Asim Kumar (Tamkuhi Raj), and Ketakee Singh (Bansdih).
The Indian Express reached out to the BJP about the SBSP’s comments but did not receive a comment. The SBSP and the BJP have been allies since 2023, but both have shared an uneasy relationship. Last year, the RSS’s student affiliate ABVP was accused of pelting stones at Rajbhar’s Lucknow home during a protest against his comments labelling the outfit’s members as “goons”.
For the BJP, the entry of Chirag Paswan’s party in UP could be of help if it can disrupt the Opposition Samajwadi Party’s (SP) PDA strategy — outreach to Pichhda (Backward), Dalits, Alpsankhyak (minorities) — and get a sizable chunk of the non-Jatav Dalit votes. The Indian Express had earlier reported that the LJP(RV) has been working on the ground in UP for the past year, strengthening its organisation and setting up booth committees. It is focusing on Purvanchal and central UP, which house significant proportions of Pasi and Paswan populations.
While a party such as the LJP(RV) is a tested political force and helped the BJP-led alliance garner Dalit votes in the Bihar elections in 2025, strains between the ruling party and its UP allies had appeared in 2024 following the disappointing results in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP relies to a large extent on these smaller parties for the votes of their communities, but in the parliamentary elections these votes did not materialise. This contributed to the tension in the alliance, which has found expression from time to time, including this time through the SBSP’s comments. Since 2025, the Apna Dal (S) has also been making organisational appointments and preparations to strengthen itself and maintain its leverage in the alliance.
Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years ... Read More
