Amid talks of an anti-BJP grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Lok Dal vice-president Jayant Chaudhary on January 9 called on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow but did not reveal much on seat-sharing.
Talking to reporters while leaving the SP office, Mr. Chaudhary said the two discussed “ disha aur disha ” of the country, meaning the current scenario and the future road, and the BJP’s failures as a ruling party.
When asked whether seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was on the agenda, Mr. Chaudhary asked the media to let the “suspense” prevail and said all will be revealed to them once things are finalised. “You are tense about seats, not us,” he quipped.
While talks are still fluid, sources say the RLD is preparing to contest at least five seats as part of an alliance with the SP and BSP, with Mr. Chaudhary likely to contest from Baghpat, the traditional seat of his father Ajit Singh and once held by his grandfather, former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Mr. Singh could himself contest from Muzaffarnagar, which witnessed communal violence in September 2013. Apart from these two seats, the RLD is also keen on contesting form one reserved seat (Dalit) and among the options for it are Bulandshahr, Hathras and Nagina, said a source. The party also wants a Muslim candidate to be fielded under its banner and is interested in Amroha and Bijnore seats. It wants a diverse background of candidates to counter any allegations of nepotism or only catering to its core Jats, as per the source.
In 2014, Mr. Chaudhary contested from Mathura but lost to BJP’s Hema Malini. While things are yet formally finalised, sources said the RLD is looking to field former Union Minister Natwar Singh’s son Jagat Singh from Mathura, as it does not want a local name for fear of creating internal friction.
“The party can sacrifice Kairana (which it won last year in a bypoll by fielding an SP leader Tabassum Hasan under its banner), in replacement for another seat. Jayant ji doesn’t want any conflict and is willing to compromise one seat, if needed, to save the alliance,” said a source.
According to a senior leader privy to the meeting of Mr. Chaudhary and Mr. Yadav, the courtesy call was to extend support to the latter in wake of the CBI wanting to probe the SP chief regarding an alleged illegal mining case during his tenure as CM. The leader said seat-sharing talks are still not finalised and will be announced only after January 15, which is the birthday of BSP chief Mayawati. “Till all parties submit their lists, seats won’t be finalised. All will have to sit together. I feel that even now the door is not shut for the Congress,” said an RLD source.
Mr. Chaudhary is scheduled to flag-off a Kisan Putr Motorcycle Rally in Lucknow on January 12 to focus on farmers as well as the pothole condition in U.P.
Mr. Yadav met Ms. Mayawati last week.
