The political landscape in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a significant turn of events as the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) offer of seven Lok Sabha seats to the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) hit a snag over the Muzaffarnagar constituency, ultimately leading to estrangement between the two parties.

JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, KC Tyagi spearheaded mediation efforts

Capitalizing on this discord, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maneuvered to forge an alliance with the RLD, facilitated by mediation efforts spearheaded by Janata Dal United (JDU) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with KC Tyagi.

Reports indicate that negotiations culminated in a pivotal meeting between RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, where the latter reminisced about his longstanding rapport with Chaudhary Ajit Singh and affectionately referred to Jayant as his own son. Following this heartfelt exchange, the alliance terms were swiftly finalized within a span of just 10 days.

RLD likely to join NDA on Feb 12

Sources reveal that as part of the alliance agreement, the RLD has been offered two Lok Sabha seats, one Rajya Sabha seat, and one Member of Legislative Council (MLC) seat. The formal announcement of the alliance is anticipated to take place during a program commemorating the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Ajit Singh in Chhaprauli on February 12th.

Reflecting on the sequence of events, KC Tyagi highlighted the impasse stemming from the SP’s insistence on fielding its candidates in two Lok Sabha seats of Muzaffarnagar district, which left Jayant Chaudhary disheartened and prompted exploratory discussions with the BJP.

Meeting between Rajnath Singh, Jayant bears fruit

Tyagi said Chaudhary Charan Singh was a revered leader and we have a relationship with his family, we helped Jayant to navigate during this transformative period and set up a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Commenting on the pivotal meeting between Rajnath Singh and Jayant Chaudhary, Tyagi reiterated the familial ties and common heritage shared by both leaders, attributing the success of the alliance negotiations to Jayant’s astute judgment.

He hailed Jayant’s strategic maneuver as a prudent move that aligns with the ethos and objectives of the Chaudhary Charan Singh legacy.