RLD unhappy with Congress alliance
LUCKNOW: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) party leaders are of the opinion that party chief Ajit Singh made a mistake by continuing alliance with the Congress instead of joining hands with the BJP.
This sentiment comes from the highly polarised atmosphere in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the anti-Congress mood in the country – evident from survey after survey predicting a BJP win.
The RLD is contesting from eight Lok Sabha seats in UP, of which four – Baghpat, Kairana, Bijnor and Bulandshahr – went to polls on Thursday in the first phase of voting in UP.
However, party leaders admit reports about the first phase of voting are not encouraging for the RLD.
LUCKNOW: Did Ajit Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) make a mistake by continuing his party’s alliance with the Congress instead of joining hands with the BJP?
His party leaders seem to think so, given the highly polarised atmosphere in western Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the anti-Congress mood in the country – evident from survey after survey predicting a BJP win.
The RLD is contesting from eight Lok Sabha seats in UP. Four of them – Baghpat, Kairana, Bijnor and Bulandshahr – went to polls on Thursday in the first phase of voting in UP.
However, reports about the first phase of voting are not encouraging for the RLD, admit party leaders.
“It was clearly a Hindu versus Muslim voting scenario, which is bound to damage our prospects,” said a senior RLD leader on condition of anonymity.
He said the BJP was drawing maximum mileage out of the religious polarisation that began since the Muzaffarnagar riots.
“The situation would have been different for the RLD had it notched up a pre-poll alliance with the BJP,” said another party leader. Voting for the other four seats the RLD is contesting from – Mathura, Fatehpur, Hatharas and Amroha – will take place in the coming phases.
Party sources said even Ajit Singh, who is pitted against BJP candidate and former Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh in Baghpat constituency, was not resting easy.
However, insiders said two things held Ajit back from walk- ing out of the UPA to join hands with the BJP.
Ajit had joined the UPA before the 2012 assembly elections following assurance by the Congress of reservation to Jats in central government jobs and educational institutions.
Singh needed Jat reservation to strengthen the RLD’s grip over the community.
“The Centre announced the Jat quota just before the Lok Sabha polls, denying an escape route to Ajit Singh,” said an RLD insider. Besides, sources say Ajit also hesitated in going with the BJP for fear of alienating the Muslim voters.
However, political observer Sudhir Panwar said, “Ajit Singh is learnt to have opened the channels with the BJP leadership. But it is largely because of opposition from local BJP leaders in western UP that the RLD could not form an alliance with the BJP.”