BJP to contest 9 seats in Uttar Pradesh by-elections, scrambles to resolve seat-sharing row with Nishad Party

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed leaders to engage with Sanjay Nishad and find a middle ground.

With by-elections approaching for ten assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself grappling with tensions within its alliance. After deciding to contest nine out of the ten seats, the BJP's seat-sharing arrangement with the Nishad Party has become a point of contention, straining ties between the two allies.

The BJP has allotted one seat to its partner, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), handing over the Meerapur constituency, a traditional RLD stronghold. However, the Nishad Party remains dissatisfied with the BJP’s offer and is seeking two constituencies—Katehari and Majhawan—that were previously allocated to it during the 2022 assembly elections. This disagreement has led to internal discord within the ruling alliance, posing a challenge to the BJP's plans for a smooth campaign.

To resolve the impasse, the BJP has deployed senior leaders including state president Bhupendra Chaudhary and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak to hold talks with Nishad Party President Sanjay Nishad. The negotiations aim to address the demand for Katehari and Majhawan seats, which Sanjay Nishad argues should rightfully go to his party, given their previous allocation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed these leaders to engage with Sanjay Nishad and find a middle ground. According to sources, the BJP is willing to offer only one of the contested seats to the Nishad Party, but with the condition that the candidate would contest under the BJP's symbol. This proposal has reportedly met with resistance from Sanjay Nishad, who has not yet agreed to the arrangement.

Key strategy meeting in Delhi

The BJP finalized its approach for the by-elections during a strategic meeting held in Delhi on Sunday. In this meeting, it was decided that the party would contest nine of the ten seats, leaving the Meerapur seat for the RLD. This decision to give Meerapur to its ally has further complicated matters with the Nishad Party, which sees a lack of parity in the BJP's approach to alliance partners.

The party’s list of candidates is expected to be announced shortly, with by-election dates likely to be revealed by Tuesday evening. Sources indicate that the BJP's central leadership finalized the candidate list after discussions with the party’s Core Committee, considering inputs from local leaders and electoral prospects in each constituency.

Nishad Party stands firm

Sanjay Nishad has remained firm in his demand for both the Katehari and Majhawan seats, invoking the principle of "Alliance Dharma" (alliance loyalty and principles). He has questioned why his party's claims are being sidelined, especially when these seats were part of the Nishad Party's share in the last assembly elections.

"Alliance Dharma must be followed," Nishad emphasized, pointing out that just as the RLD was granted the Meerapur seat due to its historical influence there, the same principle should apply to the Nishad Party’s claim over Katehari and Majhawan. He called for a consistent approach from the BJP in treating its allies.

The upcoming by-elections will be held in ten constituencies, including Karhal, Milkipur, Katehari, Kundarki, Ghaziabad, Khair, Meerapur, Phulpur, Majhawan, and Sisamau. Among these, five seats are currently held by the Samajwadi Party (SP), while the RLD and Nishad Party each control one seat. The BJP holds the remaining three seats.