Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) seemed to have come of age and no longer wants to play second fiddle in the UP Assembly election 2017. Party sources said the RlD is banking on turncoat leaders to upset the apple cart of its rivals in the election. It has declared its candidates on 230 seats till now and the announcement of candidates for the rest of the Assembly seats is going on.

“The RlD had given tickets to leaders who switched their loyalty and climbed the RlD bandwagon. The leaders given ticket included those from Samjawadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and even Bhartiya Janta party. The poll strategist of the RlD think that the turncoats will fare better in the election and the party will improve its ‘number’ after the Assembly election,” they said. Sources, however, said the Congress-SP alliance may prove a set back to the RlD prospectus in West UP.   

They said the RlD had not an impressive number in the last Assembly election and so the party’s effort to ‘seal the deal on its own terms were marred. A senior party leader said the RlD is focusing on West UP and its aim is to gain maximum success in the block.

“West UP is looked as a stronghold of the RlD. If party fares well in the Assembly election, it will brighten the party’s prospectus. At some places, we have given tickets to those whose winning chances are very fair. We hope to reach to double digit in the election this time,” he said.

The party’s media in-charge Anil Dubey said the announcement of the contestants was being done in a phase wise manner. He said the claims made by the SP, BSP and BJP had been exposed and the public will teach them a good lesson in the election. Dubey hoped that party’s fortune would shine in the Assembly election.

Also, the party has pitched Jayant Chaudhary as a Chief Ministerial face.

With Congress as alliance partner, it had contested on 46 seats in UP Assembly election 2007 and bagged nine seats while polled second on 15 seats. At 20 seats it got its deposits forfeited and had a share of 2.33 per cent. The party’s vote per cent in seats contested was 20.05.

A master of cobbling up alliance in country’s poll spectrum and using the ‘seized’ opportunity to his benefits, RlD supremo Chaudhary Ajeet Singh in previous assembly election had stitched an alliance with the Congress but chose to foray the prospect in West UP only where the RlD ruled the roost till 90s. Harping on pet agenda to fight for farmers, the RlD had good following in West UP and it used to give close fight to its rivals in the election.

This time also, the RlD nursed dreams to be ally of the Samajwadi Party to wade through the Assembly election, but later it dropped the idea to form a Mahagathbandhan by tying up with the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and some local parties. To make the theme of Mahagathbandhan a success, the RlD managed to get support from RJD in bypolls in which RlD former State president late Munna Singh Chauhan contested unsuccessfully last year.