BJP says doors are open after RLD chief misses RS voting on Delhi services Bill

The absence of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary from the Rajya Sabha during the debate and voting on the Delhi services Bill on Monday has led to a buzz over his association with the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

The RLD on Tuesday played down the incident and cited the health condition of Mr. Chaudhary’ wife as the reason behind his absence from the House. It maintained that the party was part of INDIA and was in coalition with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, said the doors were open for Mr. Chaudhary, adding that it would in the interest of both the BJP and the RLD to join hands.

“Mr. Chaudhary’s wife has been hospitalised. Hence, he was not able to take part in the yesterday’s [Monday] proceedings and voting. Nothing should be read into or speculated about his absence. We are part of the INDIA bloc and [are] in alliance with the SP in U.P.,” Trilok Tyagi, national general secretary of the RLD, said.

The BJP said more such absences from the INDIA bloc would be witnessed in coming days. “Like yesterday’s absence of Mr. Chaudhary, more such absences will be seen from the INDIA bloc in coming days. We [the BJP] have a big heart, we welcome everyone, including the RLD. If Mr. Chaudhary joins hands with the BJP, it will be beneficial for both parties, the RLD and the BJP, and more for the people as we want everyone’s contribution in making a strong and developed India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” Rakesh Tripathi, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson, said.  

The RLD factor in western Uttar Pradesh

Despite having a comfortable majority in the Assembly and clocking an 80% success rate in the last Lok Sabha election, the feelers by the BJP to the RLD seems to emerge from the scrutiny of current political developments and its recent results in western Uttar Pradesh, which is becoming a challenging electoral terrain for the saffron party. The RLD enjoys substantial appeal in the region.

In 2023, the BJP lost seven of the 10 chairman seats in the Nagar Palika Parishads and Nagar Panchayats in local body polls in Muzaffarnagar district, while in the 2022 Assembly election, the RLD-SP alliance prevailed over the BJP in seven out of nine seats in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts. The BJP lost one more seat (Khatauli) to the RLD in the byelection later in 2022.