LUCKNOW: The ongoing wrangling between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its allies, the OP Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Shivpal Yadav-led Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSPL), escalated on Saturday, with SP writing open letters to the allies, telling them that they can quit the alliance if they wish.
“You are free to go anywhere you feel you will get more respect,” said the letters to both the allies who had contested the 2022 Assembly with the SP. Reacting to the letter, Rajbhar said, "I welcome the snapping of ties. Akhilesh gave us talaq, and we accept it. Talaq kabool hai.”
The development comes just days after Rajbhar as well as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle Shivpal voted for NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu in the Presidential poll. Also, the Yogi Adityanath government extended the 'Y' category security cover to Rajbhar on Friday.
The SP, which had stitched a bouquet of over half a dozen smaller parties ahead of Assembly polls, is left with just one ally — Rashtriya Lok Dal, led by Jayant Chaudhury. In the letter addressed to Rajbhar, the SP said, “You are in collusion with the BJP and working to strengthen it. If you feel that you can get more respect anywhere else you are free to go there.” A similar missive was written for Yadav.
Rajbhar, in turn, accused Akhilesh of betraying the backward communities. “SP chief did not pay heed to my advice and lost Azamgarh. The Navratans of Akhilesh Yadav are not capable of even winning a single booth on their own,” he said. “In Azamgarh by-poll, I had asked him to give the ticket to an OBC candidate since the Yadav-Muslim formula is not working. But he gave it to a Yadav and lost,” Rajbhar added.
Later, in a letter addressed to Akhilesh, Arvind Rajbhar, SBSP general secretary, said SP did not like the fact that they supported Murmu. “What will be our next step and where will we go, will be our decision, not yours," said the letter signed by Arvind, son of OP Rajbhar.
Meanwhile, Shivpal tweeted, “I was already free but I am thankful to the Samajwadi Party for giving me formal independence by issuing a letter. In the political journey, any compromise with ideals and self-respect is unacceptable.”SP leader Udaiveer Singh reacted, saying, "These allies were getting restive to get free. We freed them.”