RLD state chief says poll tickets were sold, resigns

RLD state president Masood Ahmed resigned from the party on Saturday, accusing the top leadership of selling tickets to candidates for the recently-concluded UP assembly elections.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) state president Masood Ahmed on Saturday resigned from the party while accusing the top leadership of selling tickets to candidates for the recently-concluded UP assembly elections.

In alliance with Samajwadi Party, the RLD won eight of the three dozen seats it contested. (For representation purpose)

The RLD won eight of around three dozen seats it contested in alliance with Samajwadi Party. The state party unit already stood dissolved since announcement of poll results on March 10.

Ahmed also alleged that the alliance failed to wrest power from the BJP due blunders made by both RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary and SP president Akhilesh Yadav.

In a letter to Chaudhary, Ahmed alleged that tickets were sold to undeserving candidates, sidelining Muslims and dalits. He also alleged that the RLD-SP alliance failed to come to power because of ‘internal dictatorship’.

He further wrote in the letter that he had warned against Om Prakash Rajbhar’s uncalled for statements that polarised voters. “Both leaders (Chaudhary and Akhilesh) did not pay attention to my words,” he said.

Ahmed, who took over as RLD UP chief in 2017, demanded a reply from Chaudhary and Akhilesh to the questions raised by him.

RLD spokesman Anil Dubey, however, said: “All the charges levelled by Masood Ahmed are baseless. Also, his resignation means nothing when the party unit stood dissolved.”