JD(U)-RLD to add ‘fifth vertical’ to crowded political space in UP | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

JD(U)-RLD to add ‘fifth vertical’ to crowded political space in UP

Hindustan Times | BySrinand Jha and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi, New Delhi
Oct 03, 2016 12:52 AM IST

A “fifth vertical” will be added to the already crowded political space in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday with a joint rally by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh at Baraut in Baghpat district.

A “fifth vertical” will be added to the already crowded political space in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday with a joint rally by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh at Baraut in Baghpat district.

Nitish Kumar with deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav at Raj Bhawan in Patna.(PTI File Photo)
Nitish Kumar with deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav at Raj Bhawan in Patna.(PTI File Photo)

On the day, Ajit Singh’s son and former Lok Sabha MP from Mathura Jayant Chaudhary will also be projected as the chief ministerial candidate of the Janata Dal (United)-RLD combine.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The venue of the rally has been carefully chosen. Baraut is the birthplace of Ajit Singh’s father and former Prime Minister Charan Singh.

A cocktail of political parties, including the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), BJP and the Congress, are in race for the 403 assembly seats, with elections due in February-March 2017.

Kumar and Ajit Singh will address several joint public across the state’s western flanks. “We are in touch with other like-minded groups which are expected to join our secular front at subsequent stages,” JD(U) spokesman KC Tyagi said.

Strategists of the JD(U)-RLD combine hope the Congress will also feel compelled to align with their formation to achieve the common aim of preventing the BJP from coming to power in the country’s politically important state.With Kumar’s help, the RLD leader, who had earlier also hinted at an alliance with the SP, hopes to recapture his appeal with the Jat voters, who deserted the RLD in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections held in the aftermath of the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, a year earlier.

Unless voters again get polarised along communal lines, it will be difficult for the BJP to repeat its magic of 2014, when it won 71 of the state’s 80 Lok Sabha seats, observers say.

The BJP’s handling of the Jat reservation agitation in Haryana is also said to have resulted in the community’s disenchantment with the ruling party.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On