Fringe political outfits flex muscles in run-up to UP bypolls

Lucknow, Sep 11 (IANS) With bypolls to eight Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh on the horizon, fringe political groups have started flexing their muscles.

Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad has renewed his demand for reservation to the fishermen community in the scheduled caste category.

The Nishad community is among the 17 caste groups that have been seeking reservation under the SC category instead of the OBC category.

Sanjay Nishad’s son Praveen Nishad is the sitting BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar parliamentary segment.

“MPs are people’s representatives. Now, people are asking when the promise will be fulfilled? We will gherao the residence of BJP MPs and ask for reservations,” Sanjay Nishad told reporters.

The Nishad party, on Friday, protested outside the residence of Bulandhshar MP Bhola Singh.

Sanjay Nishad, however, clarified that they were ‘friends of the ruling BJP’ but when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was an MP, he had advocated reservation for the fishing community in Parliament.

“We will stage a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on September 25. We want reservations and SC certificate for fishermen and other sub-castes,” he added.

Nishad had earlier said that the Congress had deceived them.

“During the Samajwadi government, one member of our community died in police firing during a demonstration for reservation. We are friends of the BJP and support them,” he added.

The Nishad Party has also laid claim to the Malhani seat in Jaunpur that fell vacant following the demise of SP MLA Parasnath Yadav.

There is a sizeable population of Nishad community on this seat and the party wants to field former MP Dhananjay Singh from here.

The eight Assembly seats where by-elections are due include: Tundla, Bangarmau, Suar, Bulandshahr, Malhani, Ghatampur, Naugawan(Amroha) and Deoria.

Two of the eight seats were held by Samajwadi Party while the rest were with the BJP.

–IANS

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