SP-RLD row over chavanni flips open caste fault lines ahead of U.P. poll
The war of words between SP and RLD over political loyalty and caste identity ahead of the upcoming state elections reflects the shifting winds in western Uttar Pradesh
A long-standing political rivalry between the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary and his former ally, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, is stirring caste-based tensions ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh state elections. The conflict intensified after Yadav made a pointed remark targeting Chaudhary, saying, "We turned a chavanni into a rupee, and yet they left us."
This reference echoed Chaudhary's 2022 declaration opposing the BJP, which he later joined before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Chaudhary's switch to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was backed by the BJP for its potential to recover Jat politics from the BJP and retain NDA affiliation. However, the BJP's strategy faced criticism from SP sympathizers, who accused the party of leaving insufficient seats for the RLD in the Lok Sabha polls, while giving the SP five additional seats.
RLD has included farmer leader Yudhvir Singh in its recently formed Parliamentary Board to counter the BJP's internal turmoil. The fractured relationship between Chaudhary and Yadav is expected to further polarize the election in western Uttar Pradesh.
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