RLD's future depends on its performance in Jat-belt in Western UP

The future of Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will depend on its performance in Jat-belt of western UP in the coming parliamentary elections likely to be held in April-May this year.

- RAHUL GAHLAWAT

Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) and RLD have formed an alliance in UP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. As a result of the agreement, RLD will contest on seven seats in Western UP. Sources say RLD has been allocated the seven seats of Meerut, Mathura, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Amroha and Kairana in Western UP with a considerable number of Jat electors which will obviously impact the outcome.

RLD is facing the challenge of establishing its presence on these seats as it failed to win any of three seats of Mathura, Baghpat, and Muzaffarnagar it had contested in alliance in UP with SP and BSP in last Lok Sabha elections. Its candidates remained second on all the three seats at that time. However SP and BSP secured victories on five and ten seats respectively in 2019.

RLD has not yet made announcement of any of its candidates, however the sources say that either Rajkumar Sangwan or Madan Bhaiya may contest from Baghpat, while Yogiraj Baliyan or Manisha Ahlawat likely to try luck from Muzaffarnagar. Most probably, Jayant Chaudhary will not contest the coming elections as he is already a member of the upper house.