BJP amping up its poll chances with old allies

Though the BJP-led NDA alliance held a meeting with 38 parties on Tuesday in New Delhi to galvanise itself for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls of 2024, it assumes special significance in context of Uttar Pradesh, especially after the entry of Om Prakash Rajbhar, the Chief of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).
As per political pundits, this can have a direct impact among the OBC voters. This becomes even more important from the fact that the Samajwadi Party (SP) too gets its core strength from these voters along with the muslims.
In such a situation, the association of SBSP, Apna Dal (S) and Nishad Party with the BJP in the NDA meeting, is being considered as a big sign and that the BJP is likely to reap political benefits out of it in the coming polls in the Purvanchal region.
As OP Rajbhar was not in the BJP, the saffron party had suffered a big loss in Uttar Pradesh. In many districts, the BJP could not open its account despite a huge victory in the state.
Thus, the coming together of Anupriya Patel, Sanjay Nishad and Rajbhar will boost BJP’s prospects in the Purvanchal region.
The NDA is yet to hold 14 seats in UP in which Ambedkar Nagar, Shravasti, Ghazipur, Ghosi, Jaunpur and Lalganj are with BSP. To win these, BJP is trying to show itself in a stronger position than SP as per the caste equation. Although the political equation may change till the elections, at present, the BJP is definitely in a good position to have its old allies together.
However, BJP will need to keep a check on its own candidates and those who aspire for tickets in the areas where these new allies will have to be accommodated. For BJP, like the opposition, it will require some compromises which is likely to cause anger amongst ticket aspirants and possible defections closer to elections. For the BJP, major challenge will be keeping its flock together unlike Karnataka and HP where angry ticket aspirants turned against the party after denial of ticket.