RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary's reaction after Bharat Ratna for Charan Singh: ‘Dil Jeet Liya’
Bharat Ratna for Charan Singh comes amid buzz about Jayant Chaudhary ditching the Samajwadi Party alliance and joining hands with BJP.
Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary on Friday said Centre won his heart as the government announced Bharat Ratna for his grandfather, former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
"Dil Jeet Liya," he posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, will be conferred upon former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, along with renowned agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan.
“What previous governments could not do till today has been completed by PM Modi's vision. I would like to once again express my gratitude to PM Modi's govt for encouraging the people who aren't part of the mainstream,” RLD chief was all praise for PM Modi.
When asked if he is ready to join hands with BJP-NDA, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary says, “Koi kasar rehti hai? Aaj main kis muh se inkaar karoon aapke sawalon ko (Is there any doubt? How can I refuse today?),” he said.
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Rumours of RLD joining NDA
This comes amid strong speculations about Jayant Chaudhary ditching the Samajwadi Party alliance and joining hands with the BJP.
When questioned about the possible alliance between BJP and RLD, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday that the BJP knows how to break parties and when to attract whom. He also accused the ruling party of misusing central agencies like ED, CBI, and Income-tax.
"BJP knows when to take whom. It also knows how to cheat. In Chandigarh you saw how dishonesty took place. BJP also knows when to buy whom. It has become the largest party not just like that," said SP chief.
“BJP knows when and what to do. It knows when and where ED and CBI are to be sent and to conduct Income-tax raids and also when to silence which journalist," he said.
"BJP knows how to break parties," Yadav added.
When asked about the reported closeness between RLD and BJP, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, "There are always possibilities in politics and BJP is a party working with dedication towards Bharat Mata. It is with the people supporting the all-round development of Uttar Pradesh. We heartily welcome everyone.”
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RLD and SP already in alliance for the Lok Sabha polls
The RLD and SP announced their alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on January 19, with RLD taking seven seats in western Uttar Pradesh.
The core vote bank for RLD is the Jat population, and it is expected to contest in seats with a significant Jat presence like Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Bijnor, Mathura, Baghpat, Amroha, and Meerut.
Both parties had allied in the 2022 assembly elections, with SP winning 111 seats and RLD securing eight seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the RLD was part of the SP-BSP alliance, contesting Mathura, Baghpat, and Muzaffarnagar, but losing all three seats.