Tiff in SP-RLD UP alliance over seat distribution

Leadership from both sides have termed the differences as ‘temporary’.

The Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance is going through a tussle over distribution of seats for the upcoming local elections which would be held in two phases on 4 and 11 May. However, the leadership from both the sides have termed the differences as “temporary” or perpetrated by “ticket aspirants” who fail to get tickets.

Sources claim that SP had fielded its candidates, at several places, independently without taking RLD in confidence and without processing the selection of candidates through coordination committee, which is supposed to make joint decisions. An RLD leader said, “Around 40 to 50 Nagar Palika and Nagar Parishad seats have been such where the SP had fielded candidates without taking its alliance partner in confidence and where RLD had already fixed its candidates which has angered the local leadership in the area.”

Asked why the SP has fielded its candidates when RLD had already fixed its candidates on several seats and on the mayoral seat of Meerut, and also when the two parties are in alliance, Nidhi Yadav, Samajwadi Party spokesperson, told The Sunday Guardian, “This is the decision of the national leadership as what should be the terms and conditions of alliance and where to field which candidate. It is the decision of the party high command. Moreover, there is no statement the party has made which depicts that there is any tussle.”

The differences have emerged at a time when the local body elections in the state are being viewed as the semi-final before the big poll battle in 2024. Aditya Rathi, a political analyst based in western Uttar Pradesh, said that the move would directly benefit the BJP.

He added: “There are minimal or zero number of Yadavs in different zones of western UP and thus SP has less clout in these areas. Even Muslims in these zones mostly either vote for BSP or for the RLD. This is the region where RLD is very strong as it has 18% Jats. They are mostly in this region. Thereby, if they contest elections opposing each other, it will eventually divide votes which will substantially benefit the BJP.”

Sources privy to the developments said that there may have been an understanding between the two parties earlier that out of the 17 mayoral seats in UP,

RLD would contest on four of them from the western UP side. However, major dissatisfaction of the RLD seems on the Meerut’s mayoral seat where it had already fixed its candidate, but SP fielded its candidate without consulting the RLD leadership.

It is being observed that there is a conflict in around 10 districts where more than 100 seats are expected to be contested by the two parties against each other and not in alliance.

National General Secretary RLD, Rajendra Sharma based in Meerut said, “There will be talks between the two leaders and all the matters will be resolved because negotiations and compromises are made for big aims. And as I see, both the leaders (Akhilesh Yadav and Jayant Chaudhary)

should resolve the situation.”

A top leadership in RLD while seeking anonymity further claimed that these things happen during local elections. “There will be talks between the two leaders and all the others will withdraw their candidature,” he added. In addition to that, there have also been rumours that Jayant Chaudhary has met BJP leaders recently. However, an RLD leader denied any such meeting held between the two parties.

The State election commission recently stated that there are 17 municipal corporations, 199 municipal councils and 439 Nagar panchayats that would elect their new representatives. The number of urban bodies has gone up by 107— from 653 to 760—this time.

SOURCES CLAIM THAT SP HAD FIELDED ITS candidates, at several places, independently WITHOUT TAKING RLD IN CONFIDENCE AND without processing the selection of candidates through the coordination committee, which is supposed to make joint decisions.