Farmers' agitation gives new lease of life to RLD in Uttar Pradesh's 'Jatland'

Almost on the brink of extinction in what once used to be its bastion, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has got a new lease of life in the 'Jatland' of western Uttar Pradesh from the ongoing farmer agitation in protest against the farm laws.

RLD leaders, including its vice-president Jayant Chaudhary, the son of former union minister Ajit Singh, have been on the forefront in rallying the farmers of the region against the farm laws and has been attending the farmers' 'mahapanchayats' in different districts.

What seems to have come as a big boost for the RLD was the remarks by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait that the 'Jats' committed a blunder by shifting their allegiance from the RLD. "Ajit Singh ko hara kar hamne bahut bari bhool ki," (it was a great mistake on our part to defeat Ajit Singh), Tikait said at one of the mahapanchayats of the farmers in Muzaffarnagar town, about 500 kilometres from here, a few days back.

The RLD top leadership has directed the party workers to fan out in the villages, especially those dominated by the 'Jats' and solicit their support for the ongoing protests against the farm laws.

RLD leaders admitted that there was now a 'sympathy' for the party among the 'jat community'. "The farmers protest has come as a huge boost for us...we are now getting good support in the jat dominated areas in western UP," said a senior RLD leader here while speaking to DH.

Political analysts also point out that RLD stood to gain the most from the farmers' agitation. "The party can expect to get the support of its former voters now," said a Lucknow based analyst.

RLD fared miserably in the 2017 assembly polls in UP. It had contested 357 of the 403 seats in the state but could manage to win only one seat. The party candidates had lost their security deposits on all but three seats in the polls. RLD could secure only 1.80 per cent votes in the assembly elections.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls also the RLD had failed to win any seat in the state and its president Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Chaudhary had also lost from their bastions.