Witnessing anti-Congress sentiments during recent Assembly elections and also fearing loss of political ground in Western region due to recent communal riots, the Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) has started a ‘Sadbhavna’ (Harmony) week to assess the ground realities before they will hold a massive rally in Meerut on December 23, on occasion of birth anniversary of former prime minister Charan Singh.
The Party is worried over division of Jat-Muslim vote bank which earlier helped them to win a good number of seats in Western UP. Interestingly, the party officially maintained that the week will be used to spread the word about its policies and work done for upliftment of all the communities. However, on anonymity the leaders admit they are testing waters in the region, a traditional RlD stronghold.
Sources in the RlD maintained that the senior leaders are aware that the September riots in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and some adjoining districts mainly involving the Jats and Muslims has antagonised its traditional Jat vote base, particularly due to large number of arrests of community members. The violence which left 62 dead, and forced a large number of Muslims to flee villages where they had lived in peace with Jats for generations. Sources said that the RlD during their Rs Sadbhavna’ programme would try to interact with leaders of both the communities, Jats and Muslims, and tried to show their concern towards both. However, they would first look into the sentiments of both the communities before showing their concern. “There is a feeling among the rank and file that our vote bank has shifted to the BJP in the aftermath of the riots,” a party leader said. However, Munna Singh, the state president of the RlD, said such political activities were routine and part of the political calendar.
Sources in the Party maintained that after going through the ground realities in Western UP, RlD would chalk out a strategy for the next Parliament electios which they probably dole out in the public during their Meerut rally. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, who is also son of former prime minister Charan Singh would also took the opportunity to demand Rs Bharat Ratna’ for his father after projecting him a true messiah of Jats and Muslims. The rally, which will be a show of strength for party chief.
Sources further said that the recent controversy of cut in support price for purchase of sugarcane by the government is also a key issue which Ajit Singh would try to grab as his father and he himself always projects themselves as Rs Kisan leader’. Both Charan Singh and Ajit Singh always took issues related to welfare of farmers especially related to sugarcane growers which ultimately help RlD during elections.