Hitherto writhing in political watershed, Rashtriya lok Dal is steadily emerging as the virtual El Dorado for political prospectors who have been denied tickets by their parent parties.
With electioneering gaining momentum, there seems to be a mad rush of contestants trying to sneak into the outfit and try their luck at the hustings, thereby acquiring the status of becoming a hotspot for turncoats albiet after the much sought after Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The pehnomenon has gained momentum in politically volatile districts of western Uttar Pradesh especially Bijnore. And in recent weeks, its cascading effect seem to be slithering to central UP and even state capital lucknow.
On Wednesday, former BSP leader RP Singh joined Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) at party its headquarters in lucknow in the presence of state RlD president Dr Masood Ahmad. He was later appointed as the state general secretary.
Not only this, RlD chief Chaudhary Ajeet Singh seized the ‘opportunity’ by fielding Singh from Kursi segment of Barabanki aiming to soar up RlD’s prospects in the Assembly polls. Singh was to contest the same seat on a BSP ticket but his candidateship was withdrawn later.
Expressing his gratitude to RlD chief, Singh said that he had deep trust in the ideology of the party. He charged that the BSP is a tyrannical party with cloured vision.
“There was one up-man ship in the BSP and the party leader had little freedom to speak their mind,” he alleged.
Earlier, leaders BJP, BSP and SP have joined the Rashtriya lok Dal at the party headquarters on Tuesday and three of them were filded by the RlD chief. Those given tickets were loktantrik Bahujan Manch vice-president Vinod Kumar Tripathi, SP leader NP Kushwaha and former Zila Panchyat chairman Dr Krishna Jaiswal. Tripathi is a two-time runner-up in previous two elections while Kuswaha was member of executive committee of Samajwadi Party of Kushi Nagar and came a close second in Assembly polls from Khadda. Also former BSP zonal co-ordinator Subhash Srivastava had joined the RlD on Tuesday.