PATNA: Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), an ally of the ruling NDA in Bihar, on Friday announced that it will contest Uttar Pradesh assembly polls to be held next year.
Party’s national president Mukesh Sahani, who is animal husbandry and fish resources minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, said he would formally launch the Uttar Pradesh unit of the party in Lucknow on Saturday before opening the party’s offices in all the divisions of the state.
Before leaving for Lucknow on Friday, Sahani said the VIP would start preparations to contest all the 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh. He, however, added the exact number of the seats to be contested by the party would be decided later. “The members of Nishad community have their presence in as many as 160 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
The VIP has not yet decided whether it would contest the UP polls in alliance with the BJP or go solo. “As we are part of the NDA in Bihar, our first preference would be to contest in alliance with the BJP. However, we have kept all options open,” Sahani said, adding Nishads and their sub-castes constitute 14% of total population in Uttar Pradesh.
