Farmers Movement Archive

Talks on with SP for U.P. poll alliance, says RLD’s Jayant

Jayant Chaudhary, the newly appointed chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), said on Sunday that his party is in talks with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for high-stakes election battle in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. “We are in talks with the Samajwadi Party (SP). We fought the last election together as well. We may formalise the alliance by making a common stand on issues and settle seat sharing soon,” said Chaudhary, appointed as the chief of the RLD last month, after party’s founder-president and his father Chaudhary Ajit Singh succumbed to Covid-19 on May 6.The 42-year-old leader, who has been vocal against the Centre’s three farm laws, is confident that the unity of farmers and the youth in western UP is likely to dent Bharatiya Janata Party’s poll prospects. “The farmers’ struggle and unity is commendable. It will help us bring this government to account in the coming polls. We note that the declining faith in Modi’s personal leadership has come about because of lies to farmers on doubling income and inability to respond to the current protests in a humane and just manner. In western UP, farmers and the youth will break caste and religious boundaries and provide a formidable opposition to the BJP. The same response was observed in the recent Zila Panchayat polls,” the RLD chief said. For the past six months, farmers from across the country are protesting at Delhi’s borders against the three farm laws-- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020-- brought by the Centre in September last year. In an interview with news agency PTI, Chaudhary also asserted that his party will not allow a communally polarised campaign to ruin the Hindi heartland state and said that artificial issues such as “love jihad” and “cow terror” will not work. “Love jihad, cow terror, Kairana exodus and other useless artificial issues will be rejected; healthcare, education and balanced development will win (in the polls),” he said.Responding to question on carrying forward the legacy of Chaudhary Ajit Singh, and grandfather and farmer leader, Chaudhary Charan Singh, the RLD chief said, “It is a challenge but not a burden...I am enriched by the history and the bonds that are still strong and am proud of the work and the legacy of these two stalwarts...We will try and address the issues with an eye on the past and a new language to usher in the future.”

Hindustan Times

13-06-2021

India