Another jolt to INDIA bloc; RLD likely to accept BJP's offer and join NDA

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is seemingly marching ahead, removing one ally at a time from the INDIA bloc. 

In its latest attack on the opposition alliance, the saffron party is understood to have offered four seats to the Rashtriya Lok Dal in Western Uttar Pradesh, which is considered the Jat belt in the state.

Sources stated that RLD wanted five seats - Baghpat, Kairana, Amroha, Bijnor and Mathura to be offered to the Jat-dominated party to cement its comeback to the NDA fold.

The alliance and conditions between the two parties are understood to have been finalised.

Former BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is understood to have spoken to RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, sources added.

Announcement of a formal alliance with the BJP is expected by RLD before February 12, which is the birth anniversary of Ajit Singh.

It is understood that RLD wanted to join hands with BJP after various surveys revealed a clean sweep in favour of the saffron party in the Western UP region. 

Interestingly, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal last month announced their alliance for the Lok Sabha polls, with the RLD saying that the other party will leave seven seats in western Uttar Pradesh for its nominees.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary announced the tie-up for the elections later this year on social media.

Moreover, despite being in an alliance with SP and Bahujan Samaj Party in 2019, RLD top leaders Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhary both lost from party bastion Lok Sabha seats of Baghpat and Muzzafarnagar respectively.

Sources pointed out Jayant cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that despite the strong alliance of Dalit, Muslim and Jat votes in the SP+BSP+RLD alliance last time. 

“This time even BSP is not with us. On top of that, the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya has struck an emotional chord with the Jats of the region. This time, not even a single seat is going to be won with SP and Congress alone. RLD's account can be opened only by going with BJP,” sources said.

What clinched the deal was also the fact that the Samajwadi Party had offered RLD more seats but wanted SP candidates to fight on the RLD symbol of at least 3 seats, which it had offered to the RLD.

The NewsDrum had reported last year that in an effort to consolidate its vote bank and secure more seats from Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is understood to be in talks with the RLD for a possible tie-up ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The RLD is considered to be strong in the Jat-dominated western Uttar Pradesh. By allying with RLD, the BJP hopes to consolidate the Hindu votes in the region.

The Western UP region is known for Jat-Muslim polarisation, after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. In the 2014 and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP was able to secure a majority of the seats in the region after strong backing from Jats and Hindu general castes in the region. 

While in 2014 the BJP was able to secure all 18 seats in western UP, the tally came down by five seats and the saffron front was only able to secure 13 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In an attempt to arrest the downward slide of the saffron unit in western UP and its reach amongst the Jat community, the BJP had also appointed Bhupendra Chaudhary, a Jat leader, its state unit chief.  

The BJP also believes that the deal with RLD may resolve Jat and farmers’ issues in the region. 

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target for 370 seats for the party and 400 plus for the NDA allies, every ally is being relooked and enticed by the BJP. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an unprecedented third term, with the highest-ever majority in Lok Sabha, the importance of an alliance with RLD has further increased.