RLD Leader Jayant Chaudhary Engages In Talks With BJP For Possible Alliance

Jayant Chaudhary, leader of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), is reportedly in discussions with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding a potential alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This development could pose a setback to the Opposition's INDIA bloc. The BJP has purportedly offered the RLD four Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, including Kairana, Baghpat, Mathura, and Amroha. Chaudhary's meeting with a senior BJP figure in Delhi has fueled speculation about a potential collaboration between the two parties. Such a move would further weaken the INDIA bloc, which is already facing challenges due to JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar's defection and internal dissent within other parties like the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party.

Chaudhary's apparent distancing from his coalition partners is evident from his recent postponement of a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Chhaprauli, where a statue of his grandfather was to be unveiled. Although officially attributed to unfavorable ground conditions, insiders believe it is linked to the rumored alliance talks. There are even rumors circulating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might attend the rally if an agreement between the BJP and RLD is reached. Chaudhary's recent absence from Parliament is seen by some as an indication of his inclination towards joining forces with the ruling party.

Moreover, tensions have emerged within the SP-RLD alliance due to uncertainties regarding seat allocation, particularly in constituencies like Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, and Kairana, where disagreements have arisen over candidate selection. This political maneuvering coincides with seat-sharing discussions between the Congress and SP for Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats. The SP has already declared candidates for 16 seats and proposed 11 for Congress, which aims to contest 25 seats. With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in mind, where the Congress secured only one seat while the SP, allied with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, won five, the SP now seeks to contest a significant portion of the seats, aiming for 65.