Sanjay Nishad emphasised that victories in Uttar Pradesh were far from solo triumphs by the BJP, but the result of combined efforts by its allies. He cited the Nishad Party’s mobilising power among the fishing community, alongside the contributions from Apna Dal, SBSP, and RLD in connecting specific caste groups to the campaign, asserting their critical role in electoral success. He did not rule out dissolution of the electoral tie if that mutual faith isn’t maintained.
The minister's frustration also appears to stem from what he described as the BJP’s promotion of “imported leaders”—those from outside community roots—within the alliance. He named individuals such as Jai Prakash Nishad and Piyush Ranjan Nishad, accusing them of being leveraged to undermine his party’s standing. Sanjay Nishad demanded that BJP leaders stop relying on peripheral figures to issue statements against his party while failing to speak directly.
These developments follow an event in Delhi earlier this month, the Nishad Party’s foundation day, which notably excluded BJP participation. Nishad interpreted that absence as a deliberate slight, further fueling speculation about the alliance's future.
Underlying much of his ire is the unfulfilled demand for Scheduled Caste reservation for the Nishad community—a persistent commitment from the BJP that has yet to yield results. Nishad warned that the delay could shift political loyalties and posted concerns about facing electoral challenges if promises remain unmet.
These tensions mirror long-standing patterns of strain within the alliance. Despite the BJP’s robust organisational machinery, it has never gone solo in Uttar Pradesh electoral contests since 2014, relying heavily on regional partners like the Nishad Party for ground-level support.
Political analysts note that internal dynamics and mutual recognition—or the lack thereof—have the potential to reshape Uttar Pradesh’s political calculus. With assembly elections on the horizon, the alliance's durability could hinge on whether BJP addresses the Nishad community’s concerns with urgency.