Days after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s indirect “chavanni ko rupaya bana diya” jibe at former ally and now Union minister Jayant Chaudhary, the Rashtriya Lok Dal chief on Sunday hit back while using a Lucknow convention to signal that his party intends to emerge as a significant player in the 2027 UP assembly polls.
Addressing an RLD function at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Chaudhary took repeated digs at the SP leadership without naming Akhilesh, asserting that politics should be about taking all sections along rather than pursuing caste-based mobilisation.
Referring to the legacy of his grandfather and former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, Jayant said, “Chaudhary sahib taught us to respect everyone. He was firmly opposed to caste politics and wanted to bring weaker sections forward.” He added that while several political parties had used Charan Singh’s name and photographs during elections, following his principles was much more difficult.
“Some people see even disputes through a political lens and talk of making political capital out of them,” he said, adding that issues such as arrogance, corruption, theft and deception should be the focus of political debate rather than caste.
Jayant also questioned the SP’s political narrative, saying, “The other side is trying every trick.” In a reference to education and examinations, he alleged that those who once spoke about copying were now talking about closing schools.
{{/usCountry}}Jayant also questioned the SP’s political narrative, saying, “The other side is trying every trick.” In a reference to education and examinations, he alleged that those who once spoke about copying were now talking about closing schools.
{{/usCountry}}He sought to shift the political discourse towards youth, farmers, traders, entrepreneurs, cottage industries and teachers, rather than caste equations. Taking a swipe at the SP’s PDA formulation, Jayant said, “This is not PDA, it is ‘Peeda’ (pain) and frustration.”
The RLD, traditionally identified with Jat politics in western UP, sought to project itself as a party with ambitions beyond its traditional base. The Lucknow event saw substantial participation from the Brahmin community. The party is also preparing for a Gurjar convention in Saharanpur on September 3.
RLD working president Anupam Mishra claimed that no government could be formed in Uttar Pradesh without the RLD’s support and said the party would expand beyond western UP into central and eastern regions.
Senior party leader Anil Dubey said the party had expanded its organisational footprint and was now making inroads into Purvanchal.
Jayant also sought to balance the party’s traditional leadership with younger workers. He said organisations could not function in a vacuum and urged senior workers to respect the feelings of the younger generation.
“Stagnant water becomes polluted,” he said, calling upon older workers to give space and support to people with new ideas.
Jayant also highlighted employment and defence manufacturing, saying 300 BrahMos missiles would be manufactured in Uttar Pradesh over three years and that discussions would be held with defence minister Rajnath Singh on skill development for defence-related employment.