Lucknow, Sep 20 (IANS): With the Nishad Party inching close to the ruling BJP and eyeing an alliance, the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is on its way to striking an alliance with the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of Bihar.

Both, Nishad Party and VIP are Nishad-based parties.

Om Prakash Rajbhar, SBSP president, and VIP president Mukesh Sahani held a meeting in Lucknow over the weekend and sources said, that the two leaders agreed, in principle, to join hands for the upcoming UP assembly elections.

Sahani, who is a minister in the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, said, "We are an ally of the NDA in Bihar but not so in UP. If the BJP grants reservation to Nishad, we will support them but not otherwise."

He said that in Purvanchal, in over 100 seats, Nishad and Rajbhar communities have a sizeable population that can decide the outcome of the elections.

"The Nishad votes in the OBC category are 15 per cent but the media claims that they are merely 5 to 6 per cent. That is why we are demanding a caste census so that the truth can be out in the open," he said.

The Nishad Party, on the other hand, is warming up to BJP and its president Sanjay Nishad is confident of his demands being accepted by the BJP. The demands include membership of the legislative council, a cabinet berth and reservation for Nishad community.

Meanwhile, Rajbhar indicated that leaders of communities including Kushwaha, Prajapati, Maurya, Bind etc, would soon be joining the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha that is headed by his SBSP.

Rajbhar also had a meeting with Chandra Shekhar of Bhim Army and his party is optimistic of an alliance with the Bhim Army too.