‘Post-poll’ Jolt to Jayant: RLD state chief resigns, blaming ‘dictatorship’ within party for defeat

New Delhi: In a major ‘post-poll’ setback for the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), it’s UP President Dr Masood Ahmad on Saturday quit his post and levelled serious allegations against senior party leaders.

In a hard worded missive to RLD president Jayant Chaudhary, the state chief underlined several reasons for party’s drubbing in Assembly polls.
Ahmad claimed that tickets were sold by the top leadership while party’s core vote bank leaders (Dalits & Muslims) were cold-shouldered & sidelined by ‘dictators’ within the party.

Masood wrote in the letter that he flagged the issue of public humiliation of Bhim Army Chief Chandrashkhar Azad and warned against SP-led alliance ditching him before polls. This made Dalits drift away from the SP alliance and join hands with the BJP.

Citing example of Chaudhary Ajit Singh’s leadership, he said that party this time failed to express solidarity with the deprived sections of society and failed to unite farmers and its core vote bank including Jats & Muslims.

Masood claims that it was the ‘dictatorial attitude’ of the top leadership of SP-RLD alliance that hurt party the most.

The ‘supremo culture’ of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav & RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary restrained the party leaders from building strong connect with voters, thus leading to its poor show, he said.

Stepping up the heat on alliance, he questioned as to why tickets were changed at the eleventh hour. He accused the top leadership of selling tickets for money.

“Such flip-flop in ticket allocation sent a wrong message to public and this resulted in loss of about 50 seats by a margin of just 200 to 10,000 votes,” he said.

In his letter, he also posed direct questions to Akhilesh & Jayant, asking as to why they didn’t make extra effort to woo the Dalit & Muslim community.

“Many SP leaders contested on RLD symbol but none of RLD leaders were fielded on SP ticket,” he wrote.