The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday announced it has allied for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls with Sanjay Nishad-led Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) representing the state’s Other Backward Class (OBC) fishing community

“Under the leadership of Sanjay Nishad and our cadres, we will ensure that lotus (BJP’s election symbol) blooms again,” said Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Swatantra Dev at a press conference.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was also present at the conference along with Nishad, cited his three-days stay in Uttar Pradesh and said he can say that people have a lot of faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He added they will contest the elections under their leadership.

Sanjay Nishad’s son, Praveen Nishad, won the 2018 Lok Sabha by-poll from Gorakhpur as a joint Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. NISHAD allied with the BJP in the 2019 national polls when Praveen Nishad was re-elected to Lok Sabha from Sant Kabir Nagar.

BJP earlier tied up with another OBC party Apna Dal for the 2022 polls.

Sanjay Nishad did not speak at the press conference on Friday as BJP leaders evaded queries on understanding about seats between the two parties.

A BJP leader said Sanjay Nishad could be named as a member of the legislative council along with Jitin Prasada, who quit the Congress to join the BJP this year, and Baby Rani Maurya. Maurya this month quit as Uttarakhand governor two years before the end of her five-year term.