‘If They Don’t Like Us…’ BJP Ally Sanjay Nishad Turns Up The Heat In Run-Up To Polls

Last Updated:September 03, 2025, 17:09 IST

The Nishad Party chief said the government was promoting his opponents and it would be better to call off the alliance in such a scenario

Sanjay Nishad (PTI)

Nishad Party chief and cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad is once again in the news for putting up billboards outside his official residence asking not to be taken for granted. Nishad has been turning up the heat against the government since last week and seems to be in no mood to relent.

Last week, he held a press conference in Gorakhpur where he mentioned his dissatisfaction with the BJP government that his party has an alliance with. He said the government is promoting people who are his opponents and it would be better to call off the alliance in such a scenario. “If they do not like us, it is best to part ways. Leaders who continuously speak ill of me are being given all privileges of power and security cover. It seems to be a deliberate attempt to undermine me. If the BJP does not think we are important for them, it is best to break the alliance".

Nishad’s outburst has set political temperatures soaring. The BJP soon got down to mollify him, with deputy CM Brijesh Pathak meeting him on Thursday and sending across a message that all was well. Nishad then also met CM Yogi Adityanath along with his son, on Sunday, and when media asked him, he said the BJP was like an elder brother and they are together.

But with panchayat polls coming near, followed by the big assembly polls in 2027, Nishad seems to have ratcheted up his demands for political power.

Late on Tuesday, big billboards bearing the slogan “Do not test the power of Nishads. Do not squander away the trust of Nishads" were put right outside Sanjay Nishad’s official residence on Vikramaditya Marg. The aggressive lines were once again seen as putting the BJP on notice, but no official word came in from Nishad.

The minister, who has long been demanding that the government grant more reservation for his caste-men who hail from the fisherman community of Nishads and other allied castes, is also looking for more political clout.

“We have been voting for the teachers MLC elections in favour of the BJP for long. We will now speak to them about our representation. BJP is our senior alliance partner and like an elder brother. We will discuss our demands with them" Nishad said.

Political niceties apart, Nishad seems to be in no mood to relent on his demands. With a cabinet rejig on the anvil and a large number of posts in commissions and local bodies lying vacant, the coming weeks will define how the alliance fairs in the run-up to elections.

News politics ‘If They Don’t Like Us…’ BJP Ally Sanjay Nishad Turns Up The Heat In Run-Up To Polls

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