Lucknow After consolidating the alliance in Purvanchal, SP has moved towards deepening its relations with old ally RLD in West UP as well. The formula for the alliance for the 2022 assembly elections was decided in a meeting that lasted more than an hour between SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Singh on Tuesday. According to sources, names of more than 30 seats have been finalized for RLD, while some more seats may be available to it under adjustment. In such a situation, RLD is expected to get about 36 seats. Both the parties had already agreed in principle to contest the elections together, but the issue was about the seats. RLD was demanding 45-50 seats from SP. In the meantime, sometimes the wind of alliance with the BJP and sometimes the Congress also blew. However, the Akhilesh-Jayant meeting on Tuesday put an end to all the discussions. According to sources, in addition to the fixed seats, the SP candidate was second in 2017 on the seats RLD is asking for. It has been agreed to adopt the model of Kairana by-election in these seats. In 2018, Kairana seat was in the account of RLD, but SP leader Tabassum Hasan was contested on its symbol.
Towards change with Jayant Chaudhary
After the meeting, Jayant tweeted a photo with Akhilesh with the tagline ‘Badte Kadam’. Akhilesh also posted a photo of him shaking hands and wrote ‘Towards a change with Jayant Chaudhary’
The alliance was also done in 2017
The SP and RLD had fought the 2017 Assembly and Lok Sabha by-elections together. The alliance between the two aims to consolidate Muslim and Jat votes in key seats in western UP. Relations between the two communities were strained after the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar in 2013, experts say helped the BJP advance in the region.