Rashtriya lok Dal chief Ajit Singh overtures to the BJP for a pre-poll tie-up have fallen flat after the Opposition party has declined to get into a 2009-type electoral alliance, which lasted less than three years.
Given the visible anti-Congress and anti-Samajwadi Party sentiments among Jat voters in Western Uttar Pradesh, particularly after the Muzaffarnagar riots, Singh wanted to return to the BJP’s side to arrest the slide in his support base.
Sources claimed Singh had conveyed to the BJP that he would be looking forward to have electoral alliance with the party on seats less than what was left for him in 2009.
“As things stand today, Singh is no longer the undisputed leader of the Jat community. He does not bring extra voters with him. Moreover, when we are making big gains in Western UP, why should we have a handshake with Singh, who is highly unpredictable,” a senior BJP leader told The Pioneer.
The BJP had left nine seats for Singh’s RlD in 2009 and he won five seats. Singh, however, crossed side and joined UPA in December 2011. He was eventually made the Civil Aviation Minister.
A section of the BJP was in favour of an alliance with the RlD to avoid a ‘split’ in Jat votes. However, those opposed to prospects of alliance with Singh claim even if he wins a couple of seats on his own, he would not mind lending support to the BJP in post-poll situation. “Then, there is no guarantee that he would remain with us, if we leave some seats for him in 2014,” party leaders said.
BJP’s own assessment in that of over two dozen lok Sabha seats in Western Uttar Pradesh, it was comfortably placed to win more than 15 seats now. Party leaders claim the recent results of Rajasthan Assembly elections also proved that Jat have voted en masse in favour of the BJP.