Ghaziabad: Upset with BJP, Jat groups to vote for INDIA candidate Dolly Sharma

According to various party sources, there are about 250,000 Jat voters in Ghaziabad parliamentary constituency

Close on the heels of the Rajput community holding a series of maha panchayats across western Uttar Pradesh, calling for a boycott of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates, more trouble is brewing for the saffron party, with the Jat community now deciding to oppose the BJP candidate Atul Garg in Ghaziabad.

Members of the Jat community -- -- considered a traditional voter base of BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) -- held two meetings, one in Indirapuram on Sunday and the other near Bamheta on April 18, to discuss their stand in these elections. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Members of the Jat community -- -- considered a traditional voter base of BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) -- held two meetings, one in Indirapuram on Sunday and the other near Bamheta on April 18, to discuss their stand during these elections. Their leaders said their list of grievances against the ruling party was a long one.

“The reservation for Jats was scrapped in 2014. We are also not in favour of the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for recruitment to the armed forces as it is leading to discrimination. Further, women wrestlers were meted out inhuman treatment when they protested at Jantar Mantar in Delhi by the government in Centre. The farmers staged protests (in 2020-21) and they were promised minimum support price for their crops. But, the promise has not been kept,” said Virender Singh Dhaka, president of ‘Jaat Samaj, Ghaziabad.

Under the Agnipath scheme, people between the ages of 17.5 and 21 years will be recruited into the military service of their choice for four years. After that tenure, 25% of these ”Agniveers” will be retained and the remaining will be permitted to return to civilian life.

Dhaka said even though RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary went with the BJP, the issues faced by Jats have persisted.

Just before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on three personalities, including Chaudhary Charan Singh, Jayant’s grandfather and a farmer leader from western Uttar Pradesh. The move had the desired effect, and Chaudhary left the opposition stables for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

“Jayant may have changed clothes, but the DNA cannot be changed. There is discontent among Jats and farmers in western UP. The demand for making western UP a separate state has also not materialised while long pending demand for a high court bench in western UP is also pending. People have to go to Allahabad high court with their pleas,” Dhaka said.

According to various party sources, there are about 250,000 Jat voters in Ghaziabad parliamentary constituency.

“Considering that these demands have not been met and only promises have been made, we have decided that we will support any candidate who is giving a fight to the BJP/RLD alliance candidate,” said Mohan Sangwan, patron of the Jat association.

In the meeting held on April 18 near Bamheta, the Jat community members also decided to support the INDIA bloc candidate, Congress’s Dolly Sharma.

“The RLD chief was expected to raise issues pertaining to our community and also farmers. There is a lot of resentment, especially among youth, against the concept of ‘Agniveers.’ But, he chose to change sides and now are not raising these issues. In our meeting, we openly declared support to INDIA bloc candidate Dolly Sharma. She seems to be giving a strong fight to the BJP,” said Anand Chaudhary, district president of Rashtriya Jat Mahasabha, Bharat.

On April 20, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while holding a joint election rally with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Amroha, said that if INDIA bloc forms government, they will scrap the Agnipath scheme.

“People from every group are affected by the misrule of the BJP, be it farmers, Jats, youth or others. The INDIA leaders have raised concerns of the common man, and we are getting a lot of support from different groups and sections of society. We have a commitment to resolve these issues,” said Vinit Tyagi, district president, Congress.

The BJP office-bearers, on the other hand, said there is no dissent among the Jat community members and they will vote for the BJP.

“Even before the RLD joined us as an ally, we used to get a majority of Jat votes (about 90%). Now, with the RLD as an ally, we will get 100% votes. There is no dissent among Jats and they will vote for the BJP/RLD alliance,” said Ajay Sharma, Lok Sabha convener (BJP, Ghaziabad).

The office bearers of the RLD also refuted claims of discontent among Jats.

“They will support the BJP candidate/s as they are our alliance partners. We have held road shows, meetings in almost every major village in Ghaziabad and there is a lot of support. Some small organisations with a handful of people may dissent. Otherwise, the issues of MSP, Agnipath, price of sugarcane, among others, have been identified by our party chief and he has assured us that he will get these resolved,” said Rekha Chaudhary, city president of RLD.