Sanjay Nishad interview: ‘My community is frustrated with me for not being able to deliver for them… I am a powerless leader in the current system.’
The NISHAD Party, an ally of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, advocates for the rights of the fishermen community. The party made its electoral debut in the 2017 UP Assembly elections, securing only one
The NISHAD Party, an ally of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, advocates for the rights of the fishermen community. The party made its electoral debut in the 2017 UP Assembly elections, securing only one seat. It gained prominence in 2018 when its leader, Praveen Nishad, won the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-election on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket, a seat previously held by Yogi Adityanath, who had become Chief Minister.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NISHAD Party aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Praveen Nishad won the Sant Kabir Nagar seat on the BJP’s ticket.
During the 2022 UP Assembly elections, the party won six seats in alliance with the BJP. However, in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the party’s performance was mixed. Of its two candidates who contested on the BJP’s symbol, Praveen Nishad lost his seat, while the other candidate, Vinod Kumar Bind, won the seat from Bhadohi.
