A day after the BJP attempted to woo Jats by holding a meeting of representatives of the community with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal have decided to hold a joint press conference in Muzaffarnagar on Friday.
The press conference will be attended by the presidents of both parties, RLD sources said.
The SP has allotted 33 seats for the RLD in West UP that will vote on February 10 and 14.
“It has been called to clear the confusion the BJP’s leadership is trying to create in the region by making statements like the BJP’s doors are open for Jayantji after polls,” said Sandeep Chaudhary, national spokesperson, RLD.
During the meet, he said, the party would remind people how Mr. Jayant was lathi-charged in Hathras and how farmers who constitute their cadre vote were crushed in Lakhimpur Kheri.
“We were called names. Our dignity and self respect has been crushed. Through the vote, we will try to regain it,” said Mr. Chaudhary.
He said those participated in the Wednesday meeting in Delhi were the workers of the BJP and had not represented any community.
“The BJP gave their workers the name of Jat leaders. Top leaders of Jat Mahasabha and khap leaders didn’t attend the meeting,” he said.
Mr. Chaudhary said it was reprehensible that the ruling party was dividing farmers on the basis of caste and religion.
“Jayantji is fighting for farmers, workers and the unemployed youth but the BJP is calling a meeting of one community. It shows that they are rattled because their vote base is shifting. Otherwise, why are they not calling meetings of Sainis and Mauryas whose leaders have just left the BJP?” he said.
On his Kairana visit, he said, Mr. Shah should have spoken to farmers on the promise of doubling their income. “Instead, he indulged in divisive politics,” charged Mr. Chaudhary.
He said the party leadership had made it clear that it did not want to get into the politics of Hindus and Muslims.
“Jayantji had clearly told party workers that he would prefer to stay at home than do politics over Hindus and Muslims.”
He admitted there were issues about ticket distribution on two-three seats but, unlike the BJP, nobody had left the party.
Meanwhile, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya tweeted that people could not forget the SP’s rule.
“Jis Gaadi Par Sapa Ka Jhanda, Usmein Baitha Hai Koi Gunda [A criminal is found in the car that has SP’s flag],” he posted.
