We joined SP, BSP pact to save people: Jayant Chaudhary

A day after SP-BSP-RLD held a joint rally in Deoband, RLD vice-president Jayant Chaudhary tells Pankaj Shah that the Opposition has come together not because of any political compulsions but to save the people troubled by BJP’s wrong policies and politics.

BJP calls SP-BSP-RLD alliance a ‘mahamilawat’ gathbandhan’. Your take.

• SP-BSP-RLD have come together to save people who are facing problems. The response to our rally was overwhelming. People are optimistic.


Q: You have switched to Baghpat. Are you stepping into the shoes of your grandfather Charan Singh and father Ajit Singh?

• Those shoes are too big for me. I have to work, nurture the voters, build relations. Today’s politics is very different from earlier.

Will the alliance caste combination calculation work for RLD?

• It is not about caste combination. Every party has its base and it’s not limited to one caste. People were divided because of ideological differences but now there is a ray of hope.

Recently PM Modi said that Ajit Singh stood with rioters in Muzaffarnagar.

• If he was with rioters then why wasn’t an FIR lodged against him. We held ‘bhaichara meetings’ after riots to rebuild faith between communities. If a PM speaks about riots it shows negative agenda. Yogi spoke about riots in Kairana bypoll and BJP lost.

BJP almost swept west UP in 2014. What challenge you see this time?

• Every election is different. Then BJP campaign was positive but they didn't fulfil promises. People don’t like direction country has taken and rest hope on us.

Does BJP’s Hindutva narrative bother you?

• Religion is intrinsic to individuals, it helps understand oneself and society. BJP is thrusting religion on public and promoting mobs. Religion should never be coercive.

Your ‘ganna’ versus Jinnah narrative succeeded in Kairana bypolls. Will it help again?

• Over Rs 10,000 crore cane dues are pending. PM and Amit Shah said dues will be cleared but the court told government to pay dues with interest. If BJP can waive loans for its industrialist friends it should do same for farmers.