Even before the formal announcement of the BJP-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance, the RLD has affirmed that all its nine MLAs in Uttar Pradesh will not only support the BJP candidates in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections but will also participate in a meeting convened by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday.
RLD Legislature Party Chief Rajpal Baliyan confirmed, “Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called for a meeting of BJP allies’ legislature parties in Lucknow on February 26 at 11 a.m. likely to discuss the strategy for the Rajya Sabha elections the following day, and we will be present.”
Ahead of this meeting, all nine RLD MLAs are scheduled to meet their party chief Jayant Chaudhary in Mathura on Sunday.
Baliyan emphasized, “There is no truth to reports of dissent within the party, and all our MLAs will support the BJP candidates.”
Speculation about dissent arose amid reports of the Samajwadi Party's attempts to secure the support of three RLD MLAs, who were previously affiliated with the SP and still maintain a strong rapport with Akhilesh Yadav.
Further fueling speculation was the absence of three RLD MLAs from a recent Ayodhya trip organized by the government for all MLAs to visit the Ram temple.
However, Jayant Chaudhary dispelled rumors of dissent among his MLAs by releasing photographs of all nine MLAs gathered at his residence in Delhi.
The RLD MLAs play a crucial role in securing victory for the BJP's eighth candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls to fill the 10 seats from the state.
With both the ruling BJP and the main opposition SP poised to secure seven and three Rajya Sabha seats, respectively, based on their strength in the UP Assembly, the contest for the tenth seat becomes pivotal due to the entry of Sanjay Seth as the BJP’s eighth candidate.
Even with the votes of MLAs belonging to existing BJP allies (excluding RLD’s nine MLAs), the ruling party may face challenges in securing its eighth candidate's victory.
Similarly, the SP may encounter difficulties in securing its third candidate's election, despite the support of the two Congress MLAs.
Following Jayant Chaudhary's indication of a potential return to the BJP-led NDA, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gesture of conferring the Bharat Ratna on his grandfather, former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, the BJP finds itself in a more favorable position for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Read also | PM Modi Acknowledges Debt to Rajkot Residents, Referring to 2002 MLA Election
Read also | Unity in Action: Akhilesh Joins Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra
