Amid the buzz that the BJP is reaching out to the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), ruling party leaders in Uttar Pradesh said their inclusion will strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, but the top leadership will take a call on allying with the parties.
“The SBSP or the RLD joining the NDA will be good for 2024. Any decision on alliances in U.P. is made by the central parliamentary board. As of now, we are not privy to deliberations on including these parties,” State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said.
Despite winning the 2022 Assembly poll and securing 62 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, the BJP is looking to forge ties with the SBSP and the RLD as they hold sway over key seats in eastern and western U.P., respectively.