PM Modi to hold rally in Ghazipur today amid discontent among NDA allies

Though Ghazipur is considered to be a strong ground of Om Prakash as he represents Zahoorabad Assembly constituency from the district, his presence at the rally is doubtful. While Rajbhar himself had declared that he would not be part of the rally, BJP leaders said that the event is being held to welcome the Prime Minister and thus everyone is welcome to join them.

“I will not attend the December 29 programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ghazipur,” Rajbhar had told reporters a few days back.
“While the Prime Minister is coming to the district to mainly inaugurate a postal ticket of Raja Suheldev and also lay foundation stone of a medical college and make announcements for the region, the rally is being organised to thank him for the development of the region,” said Bhanu Pratap Singh, district president of BJP in Ghazipur.

Asked if the SBSP chief will be present at the meet, Singh said, “I am not sure. Since it is a rally to thank Modi, everyone is welcome. He is a member of the ally, and is also welcome.”  It is clear that in Ghazipur, BJP wants to showcase its own strength. It may be mentioned that about a month back, when BJP had held a meeting for Rajbhar community in the state capital, while holding separate meetings for every OBC sub-caste, the SBSP chief was conspicuous by his absence. He had alleged that he was not invited. Sources said that instead of Om Prakash, the saffron party is focusing on BJP leader Anil Rajbhar, who is an MLA from neighbouring Chandauli district and is also a minister in the state government.

While Om Prakash has been alleging neglect of smaller allies and had even met BJP national president Amit Shah over the same complaint, recently Ashish Patel of Apna Dal had voiced frustration with the saffron party over its “treatment” of smaller NDA allies.
Patel had recently alleged at a press conference in Mirzapur that smaller parties were feeling “ignored” by the bigger NDA partner — the BJP. The Apna Dal (S) has presence in over 15 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, with its core voter base of Kurmi Patel, and nearly one lakh of them only in the prime minister’s constituency.

Rajbhars and Patels form a significant base in Purvanchal i.e. Eastern Uttar Pradesh especially in the area surrounding Varanasi. Thus, all eyes would be on BJP in this rally to see how it plans to go ahead with its alliance partners in the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. With PTI