Amid Speculations of RLD Joining BJP, Jayant Chaudhary Hints Expiry date (Photo on X Jayant Singh @jayantrld)
Amid talks that the RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) may join the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary said, “If you compare a small election of 2024 with the great legacy of Chaudhary Charan Singh, you are belittling him and insulting his supporters. It is an insult to an honour like Bharat Ratna.”
He was responding to questions about the speculations over his party joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the country’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna was announced for his grandfather and former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Mr. Jayant had on Saturday praised the Modi government for honouring his grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh by announcing Bharat Ratna.
Referring to the announcement of the award, the RLD chief said that the process of deciding on Bharat Ratna is a pious process. Noting that the government takes decisions in the interest of the nation and as per the people’s sentiments, Mr. Jayant highlighted that the government was honouring his grandfather 37 years after his death.
“If they are seeing something wrong with this and if they think there is a transaction, it shows their ideological decline,” the RLD chief said reacting to the allegations of a deal between RLD and BJP..
When asked about the rift over the party symbols with the Samajwadi Party (SP), Jayant Chaudhary said that those are internal matters. “Based on trust. Whatever discussions took place between me and Akhilesh ji, I will not discuss it outside. When our alliance is decided and announced, I will be able to tell why I changed my stand and the way ahead,” he added.
However, without ruling out the possibility of switching alliances, Mr. Jayant in his earlier remark that he will not flip like a coin said that there should be an expiry date to statements. “This used to happen earlier as well, but earlier the records were not available all the time. In the times of the internet, you can also see my statements from 20 years ago when I fought with the support of the BJP and became an MP from Mathura. There is an expiry date to statements, something was said during the poll campaign,” he said, adding that Home Minister Amit Shah had said something about him and he too said something against him, and he did not intend to insult him nor was he taking it personally. “Otherwise, would Chaudhary Sahab get a Bharat Ratna?” the RLD chief asked.
