After OBC leader Om Prakash Rajbhar announced join the ruling National Democratic Alliance, Congress has said that there is nothing new in SBSP chief's decision and called him 'unpredictable'.
“Om Rajbhar returned to where he came from...this is nothing new. You can't predict anything about him like where he is today and where he will be tomorrow,” Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said while speaking to ANI on Sunday.  

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The development is being seen as a boost to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, as the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar has a stronghold among the OBC community in Uttar Pradesh.

The decision by the OBC leader came following his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 14.

Taking to Twitter, Amit Shah said, "I welcome him to the NDA family."

In a tweet, SBSP national president Rajbhar said, “BJP and SBSP have come together. Together, the two will fight for social justice, the country's security and protection, good governance, and to strengthen the deprived, backwards, Dalits, women, farmers, youth, and every marginalised section.”

Speaking to ANI after the BJP embrace in the run-up to the crucial Lok Sabha elections next year, Rajbhar, who led a two-member delegation to the national capital to meet the Union Home Minister, said he was grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all taking all like-minded parties along.

"We met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 14 and deliberated on a range of issues. We also resolved to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together. I want to thank PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for taking us along," he told ANI.

The SBSP chief said in another tweet, "We will attend the NDA meeting in Delhi on July 18. The post of minister is not important for me. Now there is no competition in Uttar Pradesh."

Welcoming his party into the NDA fold, Amit Shah said Rajbhar's entry will lend further strength to the ruling alliance at the Centre, going into next year's Lok Sabha elections.

"The arrival of Rajbhar-ji will further strengthen the NDA in Uttar Pradesh. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NDA is making constant efforts to ensure the well-being of the poor and the deprived sections of our society," Amit Shah tweeted in Hindi, tagging an image of himself with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief to his post.

"Met Shri @oprajbharji in Delhi (who) decided to join the NDA alliance led by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji," Shah said in another tweet.

Rajbhar is an MLA from Zahoorabad Assembly constituency in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.

However, its former ally Samajwadi Party has alleged the SBSP of being 'pressurised' by the BJP.

"From Centre, there is some kind of pressure on him (Om Prakash Rajbhar)...when he got separated from BJP last time, he had told that he won't join BJP ever, even if he dies because BJP and RSS are against people of backward class...,” Ameeque Jamei, National Spokesperson of Samajwadi Party said.

The SBSP had earlier fought the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP and Rajbhar was appointed minister for backward classes welfare in the first Yogi Adityanath Cabinet.

However, he resigned soon after, following a sit-in protest he staged in Ghazipur demanding the removal of then-district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Khatri.

SBSP had fought the 2022 UP Assembly elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP), but the relationship soured later.