Uttar Pradesh news: On speculations of Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) joining the BJP-led alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Chief OP Rajbhar said, "On February 12, RLD will join National Democratic Alliance (NDA)."
He later added, "Any topic comes up only when it has some truth in it. RLD knows that they will not win even one seat, even if they take 10. If they get only two seats in the NDA, they will win. Why would anyone contest to lose? Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to be with the power. Everybody knows PM Modi is going to win. What will they (RLD) do in the Opposition?"
Jayant will not weaken "khush-haali' of Uttar Pradesh
Akhilesh Yadav had on Wednesday (February 7) said he hoped that Jayant Chaudhary will not weaken the struggle going on for the "khush-haali' (prosperity) of Uttar Pradesh.
"The BJP is doing the work of creating confusion. He (Jayant) is not going anywhere. He will remain with the INDIA bloc with full strength and will do the work of defeating the BJP," SP leader Shivpal Yadav had told reporters.
The RLD and the SP announced their alliance for the Lok Sabha polls on January 19 with the former stating that the latter will leave seven seats in western Uttar Pradesh for its nominees. The SP president and the RLD chief announced the tie-up on social media for the general elections later this year.
Jat vote bank in Uttar Pradesh
The RLD's core vote bank is the Jat population. The Lok Sabha constituencies where there is a sizeable Jat population are Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Bijnor, Mathura, Baghpat, Amroha and Meerut. These could be the seats on which the RLD is likely to contest.
Both the parties had contested the 2022 assembly elections in an alliance as well in which the SP had won 111 seats while the RLD bagged eight seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls also, the RLD was part of the SP-BSP alliance. The RLD had got Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar seats but it lost on all the three seats while the SP and the BSP had won five seats and 10 seats respectively.
Though the RLD did not have enough strength to send Chaudhary to the Rajya Sabha, the SP supported him in his election. An RLD spokesperson, when asked on the issue of possibilities of joining the BJP, preferred not to comment.
Akhilesh Yadav on RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary joining hands with NDA
Amid speculation about RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary joining hands with the BJP, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav today said the BJP knows how to break parties and when and whom to buy. He also accused the ruling party of misusing central agencies like ED, CBI, and Income Tax (IT).
"BJP knows when to take whom. It also knows how to cheat. In Chandigarh you saw how dishonesty took place. BJP also knows when to buy whom. It has become the largest party not just like that," Akhilesh Yadav told the media in Varanasi.
“BJP knows when and what to do. It knows when and where ED and CBI are to be sent and to conduct Income-tax raids and also when to silence which journalist," he said.
"BJP knows how to break parties," Akhilesh Yadav added.
UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak on Jayant Chaudhary joining hands with BJP
Asked about the alleged growing proximity between RLD and BJP, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told media in Lucknow, "There are always possibilities in politics and BJP is a party working with dedication towards Bharat Mata.It is with the people supporting the all-round development of Uttar Pradesh. We heartily welcome everyone.”
Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra said, "See, this discussion is going on in the media. As far as I.N.D.I.A bloc is concerned, everything is fine here. There is no cause for concern.”
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