RLD faces significant setback as 62 leaders defect to BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections

During the ongoing Winter session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party delivered a crushing blow to the Rashtriya Lok Dal in a political upheaval. On Friday, 62 office bearers including the RLD working state president, joined the saffron party.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): In a political upheaval impacting the landscape of Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dealt a severe blow to the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) amid the ongoing winter session of the state Assembly. A staggering number of 62 office bearers, including the working state president of RLD, made a seismic shift by joining the BJP on Friday.

The defections were announced amidst a gathering that witnessed the induction of prominent figures from various spheres into the BJP, further reshaping the political dynamics in the states.

The RLD Leaders who joined BJP, include Sardar Manjeet Singh, former working state president of RLD, Arif Mahmood, state president of Minority Cell in RLD, Banwari Lal Kanchal, a distinguished business leader, Manu Dhariwar, Youth National Secretary of RLD from Sambhal, Ashish Tiwari, Metropolitan President of RLD from Lucknow, Ved Prakash Shastri, RLD spokesperson, Jogendra Singh, RLD's Youth District President Asad Khan, local RLD leader, former district judge Ashok Kumar Kushwaha and Kunwar Virendra Pratap Singh from Jaunpur.

This mass exodus of high-ranking officials, including the state president, has sent shockwaves through the political spectrum of Uttar Pradesh. The alliance between RLD and the Samajwadi Party (SP), which has been intact since the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022, faces an uncertain future with the departure of these influential figures.

RLD, known for wielding considerable influence in western Uttar Pradesh, holds sway over a significant chunk of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in this region. The defections are anticipated to tilt the scales in favour of the BJP, potentially altering the political landscape in these crucial constituencies ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The repercussions of this exodus are expected to reverberate across the political corridors of UP, with the BJP consolidating its position and the SP-RLD alliance dealing with a strategic realignment in the run-up to the pivotal national elections.