UP Assembly Polls: SP, RLD seal alliance, formal announcement soon

SP president Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary shake hands on November 23, 2021. (PC-Twitter/@yadavakhilesh)

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on November 23 sealed a poll alliance ahead of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh scheduled early next year.

SP president and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary had a meeting in Lucknow where the seat-sharing formula was discussed and reportedly, finalised.

ALSO READ: In-Depth | UP elections 2022: Is BJP on strong ground to retain power in India's most bellwether state? 

A final announcement would be announced soon, leaders from both parties said. Both the leaders shared the pictures of the meeting from their twitter handles.

श्री जयंत चौधरी जी के साथ बदलाव की ओर pic.twitter.com/iwJe8Onuy6

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— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 23, 2021

"Towards the change with Jayant Chaudhary, Yadav said in Hindi. Chaudhary also tweeted saying, " Badhtay Kadam (stepping forward)."

SP is the principal opposition party in Uttar Pradesh while RLD is the regional powerhouse in the western region of the poll-bound state. 

Sources said RLD is likely to contest 35-40 seats, mostly in western Uttar Pradesh, in alliance with the SP. UP has 403 assembly seats.

बढ़ते कदम! pic.twitter.com/NqYFSz4MV1 — Jayant Singh (@jayantrld) November 23, 2021

"The alliance will be announced formally soon," an RLD leader said.

Of about 100 seats in Western UP, the BJP won 76 in 2017 assembly polls. RLD had won one seat.

The SP-RLD alliance was expected since the two parties have been contesting elections together for quite some time now. The two parties have contested all assembly and Lok Sabha by-election together since 2017 UP assembly polls.

The SP has already announced an alliance with Om Prakash Rajbhar’s eastern UP-based Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and a few small parties, including the Mahan Dal.