Jayant Chaudhary Takes Dig At Akhilesh Yadav Over Caste Politics, Says UP Election Debate Should Focus On Youth And Development

Lucknow: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president and Union minister Jayant Chaudhary on Sunday hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing some political leaders of viewing every dispute through a political lens and trying to derive political mileage from it.

Addressing a RLD function at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow, Chaudhary invoked his grandfather and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, saying he had taught his followers to respect people from all sections of society and opposed caste-based politics.

Chaudhary Invokes Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Legacy Against Caste Politics

"Chaudhary Charan Singh taught us to respect everyone. He did not practise caste politics. He wanted every section of society to progress," Chaudhary said.

Without naming Akhilesh directly, he said the real issue was not caste but "arrogance, corruption, theft and fraud". He said Chaudhary Charan Singh had taught the RLD a different "ABCD", based on respect and social responsibility.

Jayant Chaudhary Says Following Ideals More Important Than Using Charan Singh’s Name

Chaudhary said several political parties had been formed in the name of Chaudhary Charan Singh and had invoked his name during elections. While he did not object to this, he said putting up his photograph was easier than following his ideals.

He cited an initiative in Baghpat where 36 schools were provided libraries, stressing that education was a shared responsibility of both the government and society. He also referred to the Uttar Pradesh government's allocation of Rs 11,500 crore from previously unutilised funds for schools.

Chaudhary Questions Relevance Of SP Politics Ahead Of 2027 Elections

Taking a further dig at the SP, Chaudhary said some political opponents were trying every possible tactic and questioned whether the "UP" model of politics was still relevant.

He highlighted the expansion of defence manufacturing in Uttar Pradesh, saying 300 BrahMos missiles would be manufactured in the defence corridor over the next three years. He said discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would also focus on developing skills for defence-related employment.

Chaudhary said ITIs were being renovated for the first time on a large scale and referred to a Rs 60,000 crore budget allocation.

Jayant Chaudhary Calls For Greater Role For Youth In Political Organisations

On the need to bring younger people into political organisations, Chaudhary said organisations could not function in a vacuum and that the feelings of workers needed to be respected. "Stagnant water becomes polluted," he said, calling on senior workers to give space and support to those with new ideas.

Describing himself as a member of Generation X while referring to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, Chaudhary said the definition of youth was changing. He said younger members should be told about the struggles of earlier generations and the ideals of Chaudhary Charan Singh.

He also took a swipe at the SP's PDA politics, saying, "This is not PDA, this is peeda (pain)." He said the political debate ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections should focus on youth, farmers, traders, entrepreneurs, cottage industries and teachers rather than caste.

The RLD event in Lucknow is significant as the party, traditionally identified with Jat politics in western Uttar Pradesh, seeks to broaden its social base ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The party is making efforts to reach out to Brahmin voters and expand its presence in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

RLD central parliamentary board member Anil Dubey said the party had expanded its organisational base and was now making inroads into Purvanchal. He said Chaudhary Charan Singh had prepared the political ground, but "some people harvested its crop".

The growing friction between the RLD and SP comes after Akhilesh Yadav's recent "chavanni ko rupaya banana" remark directed at the RLD. The exchange has added to the political tension between the two parties ahead of the 2027 polls.