It would be worth mentioning here that RLD of former union minister Choudhry Ajit Singh commands tremendous influence in jatland of the state, especially western UP. Son of former prime minister late Charan Singh, Ajit Singh has been getting good number of seats in UP Assembly and Lok Sabha as well from western UP. The only problem with Ajit Singh is his unreliability. Even if he enters into alliance before the elections, he would dump the party after the polls and join hands with the winning combination to share power.

Keeping this aspect of Ajit Singh, Congress was insisting on merger which the jat leader refused as he wanted a separate entity of his party. So far AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi had been pressing for the merger of RLD with Congress but under the changed scenario after Anna episode which Congress bungled, senior leaders have agreed for negotiated settlement. Congress had announced over a dozen seats in the first list of Congress in western UP which was not appreciated by Ajit Singh who is confident of good performance by his party.

There has been discussion between the senior leaders of two parties including AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, chairman of screening committee Mohan Prakash and RLD president Ajit Singh.

Congress has left 20-25 seats for RLD as discussions were held on seat to seat basis involving CLP leader Pramod Tewari and UPCC President Rita Bahuguna on one hand and Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Choudhry on the other hand. During next round of discussions, the leaders of both parties would try to sort out the issue of those seats already declared by Congress.

Political sources say that the alliance between Congress and RLD was need based not on principles. Right from Independence jats have always voted against Congress and now Congress and RLD want to join hands for their own survival against ruling BSP and Samajwadi Party.

There are 62 assembly seats in western UP and Congress could get only one seat that too in Muzaffarnagar and RLD got 14 seats in the assembly.

Rahul Gandhi had undertaken ‘padyatra’ from Bhatta Persaul to Aligarh to take up farmers issue to mount pressure on Ajit Singh and his party.

Sources say that whatever gains Rahul Gandhi could achieve from his padyatra, fizzled out as there was no follow up from party organization in the state. (IPA Service)