Why Rajbhar wanted a new poll symbol— key

The decision was announced at a meeting convened in Lucknow, during which Om Prakash Rajbhar was re-elected as the party’s national president, and its state organisation divided into four different zones: Purvanchal, Pashimanchal, Bundelkhand and Madhyanchal.

Arvind Rajbhar, son of party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, contested the recent Lok Sabha election from Ghosi Lok Sabha seat and was defeated by Rajeev Rai of Samajwadi Party by a margin of over 1.62 lakh votes. Interestingly, a little-known candidate, Lilawati Rajbhar, who was fielded by an outfit named ‘Moolniwasi Samaj Party’ managed to get 47,527 votes. Later, the SBSP alleged that their votes split due to “confusion over symbol” as Lilawati’s party symbol was hockey stick, which was “similar” to the SBSP’s ‘stick’ symbol.

Thus, the SBSP has now unanimously decided to change its symbol to “key” or “chabi”.

Meanwhile, Om Prakash Rajbhar, who is also Cabinet Minister for Minority Welfare in Uttar Pradesh, announced that his party would also “strongly contest” the coming Assembly elections in Bihar, claiming that his party wields influence not only in the politics of Uttar Pradesh but in Bihar as well.

Asking his party leaders to start preparing for the forthcoming panchayat election and also the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajbhar reiterated his party’s demands regarding caste census, implementation of the Rohini Commission report, Social Justice Committee report as well as inclusion of Bhar and Rajbhar communities in the Scheduled Tribe category. He also emphasised his party’s demand for “prohibition of liquor” in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Arvind Rajbhar was named the SBSP’s national general secretary and national treasurer of the party, while his brother Arun Rajbhar was announced as its national spokesperson.

O P Rajbhar also told party leaders about the initiative to open a university, which would recognise madrasas in the state.

“I will open universities for running madrasas,” he said while elaborating on the preparation to start a new system of recognition of madrasas in the state.

“Our effort is to open two universities. We want to affiliate the State Madrasa Education Board with the university and all the madrasas will be recognized there (from the university), so that there is no dispute in future.” Giving examples, Rajbhar said, “Lucknow University, Purvanchal University, Shakuntala University are in front of you, from where all the schools are run. In this way, if Madrasas were run from the universities, then this plight would not have happened. Neither SP could do it, nor Congress or BSP could do it.”

Regarding the coming bypoll on 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Arvind Rajbhar assured party workers at the meeting that as an NDA ally, their party would give support to NDA candidates, wherever required.

Meanwhile, Prem Chand Kashyap was elected as the party’s state president. The SBSP mainly has its presence in eastern Uttar Pradesh but in order to spread its strong presence in other parts of the state as well, it divided the organisation into four zones and each has got a chief too.

Thus, along with one state president, there would be four zonal presidents as well. for Bichhelal Rajbhar for Purvanchal, Amarmani for Madhyanchal; Sujit for Paschimanchal; Narendra Kashyap for Paschimanchal, and Prajapati for Bundelkhand-Kaluram zone.

These decisions assume significance at a time when the BSP, during the recent Lok Sabha election, raised the demand for separate statehood for regions such as Pachimanchal and Purvanchal. The issue is likely to come up again before the next assembly elections in the state.