Breaking of SP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh can give big advantage to BJP in civic elections

It has been decided in Uttar Pradesh that the opposition parties of the state are contesting the local body elections on the path of Ekla Chalo. From this it seems that the BJP will be in a position to benefit from their attitude. With the break-up of the SP-RLD alliance, the challenge being faced by the BJP in western Uttar Pradesh may now be over. The BJP is contesting the elections as the strongest party in Uttar Pradesh. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo sister Mayawati has already said that she will not forge an alliance with any party. In the last assembly elections, there was an alliance of two big parties Samajwadi Party and RLD. This time he also got dissolved. Both these groups also now set out on the journey of walking alone.

Earlier there were reports that the alliance broke down due to seat sharing in Moradabad division. It is now learned that the alliance has dissolved in the entire western Uttar Pradesh. Senior RLD leader Munshi Ram Pal had accepted the break-up of the alliance in Moradabad division. It was said that due to the dispute over the distribution of two-three seats, RLD has decided to field its candidates in all the local bodies in the division. Now it was told that RLD will contest all the seats on its own. RLD’s national spokesperson Rohit Jakhar has announced that it will also release the list of its candidates in the coming two days. He told that we have tolerated the discrimination that happened with RLD regarding the distribution of seats in the assembly elections. But that discrimination is being repeated in the civic elections. Will not tolerate him. RLD will contest alone on all the seats in the second phase of elections.

The reason for the rift in the alliance is the SP fielding its candidates on the seats rightfully owned by RLD. After this, RLD workers got enraged. He has categorically refused the alliance. The rift in the alliance started on Monday when SP fielded its candidates on RLD seats. Monday was the first day of filing nominations for the second phase of elections. According to RLD sources, Mawana of Meerut and Khekra and Barot from Baghpat, all the three seats came as part of RLD in the alliance. It was decided that RLD candidates would contest on their own symbols on these three seats of Jat dominated areas. But on Monday, the SP fielded its candidates on its symbol in all the three seats. Seeing this attitude of SP, RLD leaders also got angry. Ralod’s national spokesperson Rohit Jakhar says that Ralod is not a small party. RLD has its own stature. We are being cheated in the first assembly elections and now in the municipal elections. The Mayor seat of Meerut was being sought by RLD, on which the SP fielded its candidate. He said that it was fine till now, but in two other seats of Mawana and Baghpat fixed for RLD, the SP fielded its candidates. We have decided that now we will contest elections separately from the alliance.

Two days back, RLD had nominated Ayub Malik for the post of president on Meerut’s Mawana seat. On Monday, SP’s Deepak Giri took the nomination paper from here on the cycle symbol. Deepak Giri says that he has received orders from SP State President Naresh Uttam Patel to contest the elections. The symbol has also been received. While RLD has already given ticket to Muslim face Ayub here. Deepak said that he has got the order to contest the election, he will fight. In SP, Sangeeta Dhama from Khekra, Randhir Pradhan from Baraut have also taken nomination papers on Monday. Actually this is not the first case. The parties involved in the alliance do not follow the agreement somewhere. As a result the alliance breaks down. The same happened in this case.

In Bijnor, SP leader Shamshad Ansari, along with his wife, has suddenly announced to join RLD and contest elections on RLD’s symbol after not getting ticket from SP. The outgoing chairperson of SP, Shamshad Ansari’s wife Rukhsana Parveen was a candidate for the civic elections on SP ticket. But on the last day of nomination, Rukhsana Parveen’s ticket was suddenly cut and given to Swati Veera, daughter of former MLA Ruchi Veera. Angered by the party’s decision, Rukhsana Parveen and husband Shamshad Ansari left SP and joined RLD. Filled the form on the symbol of RLD. Not only this, he called a press conference and announced that he would oppose the SP on all the SP seats in the district.

In fact, the coalition parties are fielding their candidates on each seat, but in Bijnor, after being denied ticket from SP, the SP leader got his wife nominated on RLD ticket. While the religion of the coalition says that the other party of the coalition should not give ticket to the person who has been denied ticket from SP. But RLD gave the ticket. With this it is now decided that till now there was a triangular contest in western Uttar Pradesh. Now the contest has become four-cornered due to RLD’s separation from the alliance. One more thing, RLD has influence in western Uttar Pradesh. RLD-SP together have given a big challenge to the BJP in the assembly elections. This time BJP’s path seems to have become easier in western Uttar Pradesh by contesting elections separately.

-Ashok Madhup

(The author is a senior journalist)