RLD struggles to retain Jat vote bank

Ahead of a day of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, when Jat leader and Rashtriya Lok Dal's founder Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Chaudhary are trying to retain the Jat vote bank, at the same time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expresses its confidence to win over the western part of the most populous state.

The saffron party also asserted votes will be frittered if Jats choose to vote for RLD. The party also refused to take Ajit Singh's RLD in consideration and claimed that BJP is the only option if they want reservation. While speaking to a senior BJP leader, he said, "We are still ready to keep our promise made to the Jats in 2014 of reservation. We even asked them to form a committee and to submit their demands to the center."

Adding further he said, "The matter is still sub judice and we can assure that if BJP comes to power their demands will be resolved."

After 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, this time RLD's pitch is more focused on BJP's failure to give them reservation in government jobs, the hike in procurement prices for sugarcane farmers isn't substantial and it has done little to ensure that sugar mill owners pay arrears to farmers. However BJP's Jat faces like Uninion Minister and Parliamentarian Sanjeev Baliyan, ensured that sugar mills paid arrears to sugarcane growers and the center have been trying to resolve all the matter.

Earlier this week the ongoing Jat agitation seeking reservation in education and government jobs spilt over into the national capital, with scores of community members staging a protest in northwest Delhi. On that context BJP brass claimed that the protest is manipulated and supported by the Congress party eyeing the UP Assembly elections.