Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD) is likely to join BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Sources told News18 that the Bharatiya Janata Party is offering three Uttar Pradesh seats to the RLD, while Jayant Chaudhary-led party is demanding to contest on five seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
“But talks are moving in a positive direction. The bone of contention for now is the Muzaffarnagar seat,” a source said, adding that the announcement may happen on February 12, the birth anniversary of his father Ajit Chaudhary.
According to sources, the BJP has offered four Lok Sabha seats to RLD — Baghpat, Kairana, Mathura and Amroha.
It has been learnt that Jayant Choudhary had a meeting with senior Union Minister late on Monday night. While the RJD chief has demanded five seats, the formula has not been finalised yet. The next meeting will be held soon in which final talks on merger or alliance will be held.
Last month there were talks of a tie-up between Samajwadi Party (SP) and the RLD. According to the agreement, SP had promised to give seven Lok Sabha seats in Western Uttar Pradesh to Jayant Chaudhary’s party. The seats that SP offered to RLD include Baghpat, Mathura, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Amroha and Kairana.
Meanwhile, some sources in the BJP claimed that neither Jayant Chaudhry asked for Muzaffarnagar, nor the saffron party is the mood to give.
Sources in the Congress said that the party will speak to Jayant to get clarity on the issue. “He had assured that he would be a part of the yatra. All seat-sharing talks in UP will be finalised before the yatra ends in the state, and Akhilesh Yadav will join the march in Raebareli,” a source told News18.
In fact, Akhilesh Yadav even tweeted about the possible merger between the two parties and wrote, “Congratulations to everyone on the alliance of Rashtriya Lok Dal and SP. Everyone should unite for victory. According to sources, the SP-RLD alliance may break.”
Reposting Akhilesh’s tweet, Jayant commented, “Always ready for the protection of national and Constitutional values. It is expected from all the cadres of our alliance to move forward together for the development and prosperity of our region.”
The development came just a few months left for the crucial Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to be held in between April and May. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end in the month of June.
Will Jayant Chaudhary Join NDA?
If Jayant Chaudhary forms an alliance with the BJP-led NDA, it will be a big blow to the INDIA bloc as well as to Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi party. RLD and SP have fought many elections together in the past. Notably, SP has also sent Jayant Chaudhary to Rajya Sabha.
However, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav have refuted the ongoing speculations of RLD joining hands with the BJP and stated that Jayant Choudhary will not join the saffron camp.
Speaking on RLD’s speculated switch, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, who will be fighting Lok Sabha Elections from Saifai said, “I don’t think Jayant will go into NDA. The way BJP has been working against the farmers and the way our wrestlers have been insulted by BJP, I don’t think RLD national president Jayant Chaudhary will take any step that will harm the farmers.”
“Jayant Chaudhari is a very sorted individual. He understands politics and I am sure he will continue the fight for farmers and others and won’t weaken it,” added Akhilesh Yadav.
Samajwadi Party senior leader Shivpal Yadav also quashed the ongoing reports and said, “I know Jayant very well. They are secular people. BJP is only misleading using the media. They (RLD) will remain in the INDIA bloc and defeat the BJP.”
Will BSP Join BJP Ahead of 2024 Polls?
Meanwhile, the saffron camp is also in talks with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh. It is being speculated that the BSP might join hands with the BJP for the upcoming polls.
Interestingly, Mayawati earlier in January on her birthday announced that BSP will go solo in the upcoming polls and ruled out the speculations of joining any of the alliances — the INDIA bloc or the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the polls.
(With inputs from Aman Sharma in New Delhi)
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