For 1st time since 1977, no member of RLD's first family in Lok Sabha fray

LUCKNOW: For the first time since 1977, no member of the Chaudhary Charan Singh clan will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections, with RLD Monday announcing the candidature of Rajkumar Sangwan from Baghpat — a constituency considered a family bastion of the former PM, but currently held by BJP’s Satya Pal Singh — and Chandan Chauhan from Bijnor.

The announcement came two days after RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary met home minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda. Sources said Shah and Nadda agreed to spare the two seats for RLD, which showed its inclination to align with BJP after the Centre announced Bharat Ratna for Charan Singh.

RLD also named Yogesh Chaudhary as its candidate for MLC polls, for which the process of filing nominations started Monday.

Baghpat happens to be the ‘karmabhoomi’ of Charan Singh, who successfully contested the seat for the first time in 1977, and won on the trot in 1980 and 1984, despite the Congress wave following the assassination of Indira Gandhi. His son Ajit Singh inherited the seat in 1989 and won six times representing the constituency till 2009.

The election of Chaudhary would mark the return of RLD to the legislative council after almost 6 years.