Nishad Party takes U-turn, promises to support BJP

Lucknow, Aug 15 (IANS) The Nishad Party, led by Dr Sanjay Nishad, has taken another expected U-turn and has announced his 'full support' to the BJP in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.Sanjay Nishad met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda in Delhi on Saturday evening and later he communicated his decision to the media."The Nishad community is committed to form a government with the BJP in 2022 to restore its lost glory," he said.He said that he has also asked the BJP to restore the rights of Nishads on ponds and water bodies in every gram sabha."In 2007, the Mayawati government changed the provision. The government should restore it," he said.He also demanded withdrawal of cases filed against Nishads in Agra, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur and Ghazipur during agitations.This was Nishad's second meeting with the Union home minister after the one in June in which he had sought a union cabinet berth for his son Pravin, who is a BJP MP.When his son was not included in the union cabinet, he publicly aired his disappointment with the BJP.

--IANS amita/dpb