CM Adityanath assured that our grievances will be addressed, says Nishad Party chief

A day after meeting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad on Saturday said that the party will contest the poll with its own party symbol. He added that the NDA will decide on who will contest from which seat. He added that CM Adityanath had given assurance that the party's grievances will be heard and dealt with. 

On Friday, barely three days after joining the SP-BSP-RLD 'Mahagathbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh, the Nishad (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) Party parted ways with the fledgeling anti-BJP alliance.

"The Nishad Party is no more in alliance with the Samajwadi Party," Nikky Nishad alias Riteash Nishad, media in-charge, Nishad Party, had told PTI in Gorakhpur.

"There was a conflict between the two parties on Maharajganj seat as Nishad Party wanted to contest with its own party symbol whereas Samajwadi Party was not ready for it," he had added.

The party workers were not willing to contest on the SP symbol and many of them began quitting, he had said. "So, our national president Sanjay Nishad ji went to Lucknow and on late Thursday it was confirmed that the Nishad Party is no more a part of the alliance," he had added.

The Nishad Party is headed by Sanjay Nishad, the father of Pravin Nishad who had won the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat on an SP ticket in the 2018 by-polls.

The win had been remarkable, as Gorakhpur was considered a bastion of Adityanath, who had represented the parliamentary constituency several times before.

A Nishad Party insider accused SP chief Akhilesh Yadav of backtracking on his promises. "They did not put our name on the posters/letters or anything. Our party workers, authorities, core committee were upset," he said.

"So, the Nishad Party has taken a decision today that we are not with the 'gathbandhan', we are free, can fight elections independently and can look for other options as well. The party is free now," he added.

On the day of the announcement, Sanjay Nishad had addressed a press conference in which he had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him a 'jumlebaz' as well as CM Adityanath.

The Nishad Party, sources said, is in talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for some seats including Gorakhpur.