RLD formally joins SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, will contest on three seats in Lok Sabha election

Ending all speculations of a tie-up in Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) announced that it will join the Bahujan Samajwadi Party(BSP)-Samajwadi Party(SP) alliance in the state to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RLD vice-president Jayant Chaudhary said, “Earlier, there were questions about an alliance. We had a fruitful meeting with Akhilesh. We are with SP and BSP.” The RLD will contest on three seats in Uttar Pradesh — Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar, they announced.

Jayant Chaudhary,RLD: Rashtriya Lok Dal will join the BSP-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Our workers will work hard to ensure victory of the alliance on all seats of the state pic.twitter.com/wiwx2wEfJl

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 5, 2019

Responding to questions about Congress being left out of the alliance in the state, Akhilesh said, “Congress is with us; it is a part of our alliance. Why do you (media) repeatedly ask if Congress will come with us or not? I have said this earlier too that Congress is part of the mahagatbandhan. They will contest on two seats in our alliance.” When talks to forge the SP-BSP alliance were on, RLD president Ajit Singh had said in January that his party will also side with the partnership for the upcoming general election. However, he had said that the decision to keep Congress in the tie-up would be taken by Akhilesh and BSP supremo Mayawati. Among all states, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of seats (80) in the Lok Sabha. The SP and BSP decided to contest from 37 and 38 seats, respectively. When the Congress was kept out of the alliance due to differences, the party decided to contest all 80 seats in state. Under the current arrangement, Mayawati had announced that the SP-BSP alliance will not field any candidates on Congress bastions Raebareli and Amethi as a courtesy to the party. At the India Today Conclave on 2 March, Akhilesh had said, “Uttar Pradesh ko haath bhi pasand hai, aur UP ko haathi bhi pasand hai’ (Uttar Pradesh likes both the hand and the elephant),” he said, referring to the poll symbols of the Congress and the BSP, respectively. With inputs from agencies