Jayant Chaudhary is an educated leader: Akhilesh

LUCKNOW: Responding to the speculations doing rounds that Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) might join forces with the National Democratic Alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said that the grandson of former Prime Minister --Chaudhary Charan Singh-- is an educated person and he will not let the fight for farmers weaken. "Jayant Chaudhary is an educated person and he understands politics really well. I am hopeful that he will not let the fight for farmers weaken," Akhilesh Yadav said.

There are reports that Jayant Chaudhary in in advanced talks with the BJP for a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The reports came nearly three weeks after Yadav announced the Samajwadi Party's alliance with the RLD for the April-May polls.

"Congratulations to everyone on the Rashtriya Lok Dal-SP alliance. Let us all unite for victory!" Akhilesh Yadav posted on X on January 19. He also posted a picture of him shaking hands with Jayant Chaudhary. According to the party sources, RLD agreed to fight in alliance on 7 to 8 seats out of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, with most of the seats in Western UP.

The Samajwadi Party is also striking an alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls with the Congress expected to contest 11 seats. Meanwhile, Akhilesh's wife and Samajwadi Party MP, Dimple Yadav exuded confidence that Chaudhary won't take such a decision.

"The way Bharatiya Janata Party has been working against the farmers and the way our wrestlers have been insulted by BJP, I don't think RLD national president Jayant Chaudhary will take any step that will damage our farmers directly," she said while speaking to reporters in Parliament in the national capital. Apart from this, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav also said that RLD will remain in the INDIA bloc fold.

"I know Jayant (Singh) very well. They are secular people. BJP is only misleading using the media. They (RLD) will remain in the INDIA alliance and defeat the BJP," Akhilesh Yadav's uncle told reporters here. SP and RLD had contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022 together.