OP Rajbhar, former ally of Akhilesh Yadav’s party, rejoins BJP-led NDA

The OP Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party has returned to the NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Union home minister Amit Shah tweeted after their meeting on Sunday and wrote:  “The arrival of Rajbhar ji will strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh and the efforts being made by the NDA under the leadership of Modi ji for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden will get further strength."

The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) has returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. OP Rajbhar, the leader of the SBSP, met with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to formally join the BJP-led NDA. After meeting with OP Rajbhar, Amit Shah said that Rajbhar's entry will help the NDA in Uttar Pradesh.

Taking to Twitter, Amit Shah shared a photo and wrote in Hindi: "Met Shri  @oprajbhar ji in Delhi and decided to join the NDA alliance led by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. I welcome him to the NDA family. The arrival of Rajbhar ji will strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh and the efforts being made by the NDA under the leadership of Modi ji for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden will get further strength."

Speaking on his decision, Rajbhar said, "We met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 14 and discussed various issues and decided to fight the 2024 elections together. I want to thank PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Yogi Adityanath for taking us along."

In an alliance with the BJP, the SBSP ran candidates in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. Even up until his dismissal for "anti-alliance activities" in 2019, Om Prakash Rajbhar remained a minister in Yogi Adityanath's cabinet.

The SBSP then ran in tandem with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in the 2022 Assembly election. Om Prakash Rajbhar broke off his coalition with SP in July of last year.