Bharatiya Tribal Party strikes alliance with old friend JD(U) to ‘defeat BJP’

Chhotubhai and his son Mahesh Vasava, who parted ways from the JD(U) in 2017 when the Sharad Yadav faction split, decided to join hands with the “old friend” in order to “defeat the BJP” in Gujarat.

While the two parties are yet to announce their seat-sharing formula, the BTP on Sunday had declared 12 candidates, including in nine of the 27 ST seats in the state.

Chhotubhai, who was JD(U) MLA from 1990 until 2017, said, “JD(U) is an old friend and we have agreed for a pre-poll alliance. The purpose is to defeat the BJP… we will help them and they will help us. Bihar CM Nitish Kumarji will also campaign in Gujarat as it is needed to throw out the (BJP) government here.”

Mahesh Vasava had formed the BTP just weeks ahead of the 2017 assembly polls in Gujarat after parting ways from the JD(U) and making an unsuccessful bid in the apex court for the party symbol to be granted to the Sharad Yadav faction.

Thereafter, the BTP, in alliance with Congress, won two of the six seats it contested. In 2020, the BTP broke ties with the Congress and in February 2021, it forged an alliance with AIMIM — a new entrant in Gujarat’s local body polls. The two parties called it quits after the elections and in April this year, the BTP held a joint rally with AAP in Chanderiya — Chhotubhai’s backyard — to join hands to “defeat BJP-Congress combine”.

In September, Chhotubhai announced that it was ending its tie-up with the AAP alleging that the latter was sidelining the patriarch after cashing on his popularity in the tribal belt even as the AAP denied having formed an official alliance with the BTP.

The BTP currently has two MLAs — Chhotubhai from Jhagadia and son Mahesh from Dediapada.

On Monday, JD(U) Gujarat president Vishwajeet Singh said, “Chhotubhai has been the JD(U) state president when he was in the party fold. We are brothers. Apart from Nitish Kumar, JD(U) president Lalan Singh and senior leader KC Tyagi will also campaign in Gujarat… There is no disadvantage in forging a pre-poll alliance days ahead of the elections. We will finalise the seat sharing in coming days.”

Chhotubhai also said that the public would “soon know all candidates” as the date for filing nominations has already been finalised. Chhotubhai also alleged that the BJP has been winning local elections by “rigging EVM machines” in the recent years, thereby causing a decline in the BTP numbers in the local bodies in tribal districts.