The President of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Jayant Chaudhary, has announced his decision to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This move comes after speculations following the announcement by the Modi government to confer the Bharat Ratna upon Chaudhary's grandfather and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary confirmed the decision to join the BJP-led NDA saying, "...I took this decision after speaking to all the MLAs and workers of my party. There was no big planning behind this decision, we had to take this decision within a short time because of the situation. We want to do something good for the people..."
This comes as another blow to I.N.D.I.A bloc as Jayant Chaudhary was part of the opposition alliance and the Samajwadi Party (SP) had offered seven seats to the RLD to contest in the elections. However, Chaudhary was reportedly discontent with the symbol allocated by the SP and its candidate selection process.
When Chaudhary's grandfather, Chaudhary Charan Singh, was awarded the Bharat Ratna by the Union government, Jayant Chaudhary had expressed gratitude towards the President of India and specifically Prime Minister Modi. Addressing queries regarding joining the BJP, he had rhetorically responded, "How can I refuse?" Now, however, Chaudhary has formally announced his decision to join the NDA.
Chaudhary's inclusion in the NDA is anticipated to significantly impact the I.N.D.I.A bloc, especially considering his considerable influence in western Uttar Pradesh and the significance of his Jat vote bank. The repercussions of Chaudhary's alliance with the BJP on the I.N.D.I.A coalition remain to be seen.