‘Respect Flows Both Ways’: Snubbed By NDA, Rajbhar Launches Solo Bihar Campaign

Lucknow/Patna, October 14, 2025 – Om Prakash Rajbhar, chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and a cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, has announced his party will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections independently after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) did not allocate a single seat to them. Rajbhar, expressing dissatisfaction with the BJP's stance, stated that the SBSP is prepared to contest 153 seats on its own.

The NDA's seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar polls allots 101 seats each to the BJP and Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), 29 to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and six each to the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). The SBSP's exclusion from this arrangement has prompted Rajbhar to take a firm stance.

Rajbhar emphasized that the Prajapati, Rajbhar, and Rajbanshi communities in Bihar constitute a significant voter base, with each community holding between 20,000 to 80,000 votes. He criticized parties like BJP, JDU, RJD, and LJP for claiming these communities as their own. Rajbhar is now focused on forming a separate front to contest the elections.

"When help was needed in by-elections, they came with folded hands. But now they have changed their tone," Rajbhar stated, highlighting the perceived change in the BJP's attitude towards his party. He added that he had approached BJP national leaders, including JP Nadda and Vinod Tawde, and even met with Home Minister Amit Shah to present his party's agenda. Despite these efforts, the SBSP was not accommodated in the seat-sharing arrangement.

Rajbhar affirmed the SBSP's willingness to maintain "alliance dharma," but asserted that if the NDA does not accommodate them, they are prepared to contest independently. He suggested that there was still time to negotiate for 4–5 seats.

According to sources, Rajbhar met with UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who has previously served as a coordinator between the SBSP and BJP. However, these discussions were unsuccessful in resolving the seat-sharing issue.

The SBSP leader has also claimed that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had offered his party five seats, which they declined. He has also reportedly been in discussion with Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Janshakti Janta Dal leader Tej Pratap Yadav.

Despite the decision to contest independently in Bihar, Rajbhar has clarified that the SBSP will remain an ally of the NDA in Uttar Pradesh. He emphasized that their focus in Bihar is not to defeat any particular party.

The Bihar Assembly elections, encompassing 243 seats, are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the counting of votes on November 14. The primary contest is expected to be between the NDA, led by the BJP and JD(U), and the INDIA bloc, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Rajbhar's decision to contest independently introduces a new dynamic to the Bihar elections. While the NDA has finalized its seat-sharing arrangement, Rajbhar's move indicates potential instability within the alliance. The SBSP's performance in the election will be closely watched, especially its ability to mobilize support from the communities it claims to represent.