Uttar Pradesh fisheries minister and national president of Nishad Party, Sanjay Nishad, has said that he will ensure BJP’s win in Nishad dominated seats in the state.
Talking to reporters here, Sanjay Nishad said that there are 27 Lok Sabha seats in the state where Nishad voters play a crucial role.
“As of now, we have not staked claim to any of the seats. We are making these seats ready for BJP. We will ensure BJP’s win there. We are confident that we will win any of the 80 seats that BJP gives us. Just like us, BJP has other alliance partners too, so let BJP decide. We want BJP to win on Nishad-dominated seats. That is our sense of duty towards the BJP,” he said.
Denying reports of a rift after the urban local body elections in the state when the BJP did not give tickets to any Nishad Party candidate, the minister said, “They gave us five seats in the second phase and all of them won.”
Asked about the inordinate delay in granting SC status to Nishads in Uttar Pradesh, he said, “It is essential for us to be in power with a huge majority to make it happen. This is what I am telling my people. When we found out about that, it turned out to be a case of a missing file. The files related to this are missing from the social welfare department at the Centre since the UPA regime.
“We have got an FIR registered on this already. Things will become easy once the file is found. It is because of our efforts that the matter reached the Registrar General of India. It will surely be done if we become stronger.”
However, he admitted that SC status for 17 sub-castes of Nishads to be an issue in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.
“There is no other issue that we are fighting for,” he stated.
Talking about the competition from the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of Bihar, Sanjay Nishad said, “They were here in the UP Assembly elections 2022 as well. They had contested 300 seats. What happened? They have done nothing for Nishads in Bihar, how will they do something in UP?
“While our efforts have made the state government implement three welfare schemes for Nishads in UP. The Centre has launched one scheme, the PM Matsya Sampada Yojna. Thousands of Nishads have been made beneficiaries under these schemes and it is for the Nishads to see for themselves.”
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