Farmers Movement Archive

RLD leaders in open revolt after 8 'party seats' go to SP leaders

Meerut: RLD leaders and cadre have come out in open revolt after it transpired on Tuesday that eight Samajwadi Party candidates -- and not RLD leaders -- would be fighting assembly polls from a clutch of constituencies in west UP on the RLD symbol. This is out of the 32 seats given to the RLD by the Samajwadi Party (SP). Senior RLD leaders told TOI that "this could even put the alliance between Jayant Chaudhary and Akhilesh Yadav in jeopardy". Several seats so far in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar, considered to be a stronghold of RLD backed by a resurgent Jat constituency after the farm protests, have technically gone to the SP. On Tuesday, SP leader and former MLA Ghulam Mohammad was given the ticket from Siwalkhas constituency of Meerut while Manisha Ahlawat got Meerut Cantonment. Both have been awarded the RLD symbol. Senior RLD leaders openly criticised party chief Jayant Chaudhary for "not being firm" regarding the ticket distribution. "Our chief should have been able to deal with this firmly. We are a junior partner in the alliance but are strong in west UP and hold sway in the region in the prevailing circumstances. But it seems our chief has succumbed to the SP pressure," said national general secretary (minority wing) and veteran RLD leader Anudin Shah. Several party workers led by state president of Rashtriya Jat Mahasangh Rohit Jakhad protested at the statue of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh in Meerut. "The seat distribution has given a walkover to the BJP. We have nothing to lose. It is Akhilesh Yadav who dreams of becoming the chief minister but if he cannot honour the rules of alliance, we know how to defeat such a mindset," Jakhad said. He added: "At least eight seats out of 32 haveactually gone to SP but on the RLD symbol so far. And all these were winnable seats for RLD. It was the party cadre led by veteran leaders who fought against farm laws, but when it comes to rewards even senior leaders like Raj Kumar Sangwan and Anudin Shah serving the party for several decades have been sidelined. This cannot be tolerated." The protest is not confined to Meerut and has spread to other regions. "Resentment is widespread. SP has fielded its candidates on the RLD symbol where Jats are in majority and were considered safe seats. For instance, Sanjay Laatar in Mathura (though Jat but an SP leader on RLD symbol), Rajpal Saini in Khatauli, the list goes on," said an RLD leader. Abhishek Chaudhary, west UP spokesperson for RLD, said, "Muzaffarnagar has six assembly seats and five have gone to RLD, but in reality four out of these five candidates are from SP fighting on the RLD symbol. We have been cheated." According to party leaders, in 2017 the alliance between RLD and SP had broken due to the same reason. "Akhilesh Yadav is trying to hijack the benefit of all the hard work done by RLD in creating a strong narrative against the BJP," a senior leader said.

The Times of India

2022-01-19

Meerut