Jayant Chaudhury’s Rashtriya Lok Dal-BJP Alliance May Backfire

It has been more than a fortnight since the Narendra Modi-led Central government on February 10, 2024, won over Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) President 45-year old President Jayant Singh Chaudhary ’s heart. “Dil jeet liya” Jayant had proclaimed on X, reacting to the Modi government bestowing the Bharat Ratna on his grandfather and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.

On a reporter’s question about his likelihood of joining hands with the BJP he had said: “Is there anything left to be done? How can I refuse?”

By not taking any initiative to formally invite the RLD President to join the BJP-led NDA, the saffron party has virtually left Jayant high and dry, and his supporters are trying to read between the lines.

What is the reason for BJP testing junior Chaudhury’s patience? For one, they know that he has practically burnt his boat by opting out of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance days before the Congress and Samajwadi party amicably came to an agreement on seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh.

Ending days of speculation of his joining the NDA even after arriving with a seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party, Jayant on February 10 made it clear that he was more than willing to become a ‘chavvani’ (25 paise coin).

It may be recalled that during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha campaign Jayant in a public meeting had denied any chances of his joining the BJP by claiming that he was not a ‘chavvani’ that could be tossed around.

However, the earliest indication of something amiss in the RLD was days before Jayant’s message on the social media of losing his heart. On February 2, the opening day of the Uttar Pradesh assembly budget session, nine RLD MLAs appeared without their customary green scarf, starting a whisper campaign that something was brewing.

It was more than a week later that RLD President’s heart was officially won over by PM Modi by announcing the Bharat Ratna for his grandfather and farmers’ leader Chaudhary Charan Singh.

On February 11, the nine RLD MLAs joined the Speaker Satish Mahana-led collective reverence of Lord Ram by becoming part of the official delegation of the UP MLAs to pay obeisance at the newly consecrated temple at Ayodhya. Needless to add, the SP MLAs were conspicuous by their absence.

Yet no RLD MLA or any leader of consequence was part of Chief Minister Adityanath’s Muzaffarnagar public meeting and Gram Parikrama the next day, on February 12 . This was quite a snub for the RLD in their heartland.

According to insiders in the know of developments the BJP is negotiating with the RLD ,and is not ready to give more than 2 Lok Sabha seats, a Rajya Sabha seat and a berth in a future Union ministry.

The reason which caused Jayant to suddenly take a U-turn and break away from the I.N.D.I.A. alliance was the reported threat of raids from the Enforcement Directorate.

However, after putting all his cards on the table Jayant continues to be given the cold shoulder by the BJP. On the eve of the Rajya Sabha election, on February 26, the nine RLD MLAs virtually went out of their way and invited themselves to CM Adityanath’s Lok Bhawan office to assure him of their support to win the eight Rajya Sabha seats on which the saffron party is contesting.

Commenting on Jayant’s decision to join hands with BJP the farmers of his stronghold of Baraut in Baghpat said that they will not follow him if he leaves his home and goes with the BJP.

“If he fights alone we will stand by him. However, if he goes with the BJP which has exploited the farmers then we will have to leave him”, Ompal, a farmer in Baraut, said.

“We helped him revive his party when he came out in our support during the agitation. His party had been in shambles after the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013 and the complete wipeout in 2014. Now he wants to go back to the BJP. Can he get us justice?”, he asked.

With Muslims no longer in a mood to support the RLD if it joins hands with the BJP, and a sizable section of the farmers in Western UP also unsure of supporting him if he joins the ranks of what they call ‘anti- farmer BJP’, Jayant today is clearly in an unenviable position.

Only time will tell if Jayant’s decision will prove to build his profile as a farmers leader or would it be the end of the road for him.