• Source:JND
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Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The INDIA Bloc has suffered several blows even as the seat-sharing talks are underway in several states. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress have already snubbed the INDIA Bloc in Punjab and West Bengal respectively, daunting the aspirations of the opposition alliance.

Now, in yet another worrying news for the INDIA Bloc, Samajwadi Party (SP) ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Rajya Sabha MP Jayant Chaudhary, is mulling over joining the NDA block amid the distribution of seats in Uttar Pradesh. RLD had contested the UP Assembly Elections in alliance with SP, winning nine of the 33 seats it contested.

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Amid the buzz over Jayant Chaudhary's speculated flip-flop, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav exuded confidence that Jayant Chaudhary will not join the BJP-led NDA bloc, calling him an "educated person". "Jayant Chaudhary is an educated person and he understands politics really well. I am hopeful that he will not let the fight for farmers weaken," Akhilesh Yadav said.

Samajwadi Party MP from Mainpuri and wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav also dismissed the rumours and said that Jayant Chaudhary, who is the grandson of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, "will not take any step" that will damage the trust of farmers towards his party.

"The way BJP has been working against the farmers and the way our wrestlers have been insulted by BJP, I don't think RLD national president Jayant Chaudhary will take any step that will damage our farmers directly," Dimple Yadav said. WATCH VIDEO.

Meanwhile, reacting to the rumours, Akhilesh Yadav's uncle and senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav accused the BJP of "creating confusion" and said that Jayant Chaudhary will remain with the INDIA bloc.

"The BJP is doing the work of creating confusion. He (Jayant) is not going anywhere. He will remain with the INDIA bloc with full strength and will do the work of defeating the BJP," Shivpal Singh Yadav said, as quoted by PTI. Shivpal asserted that the INDIA bloc will defeat the BJP in the upcoming general elections, likely to be held in April-May this year. "I know Jayant, he is a secular person," he added.

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A report by news agency IANS, quoting sources, stated that BJP has reached out to Jayant Chaudhury for an alliance in the upcoming elections, which could lead to a further crack in the INDIA bloc. RLD state vice president, Narendra Khazoori, however, denied that there were any issues in seat-sharing. "If there are any issues, the party high command would resolve them amicably," Khazoori said, as quoted by IANS.