NDA partner RLD declares candidates for Bijnor, Baghpat in UP for LS polls

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which formally joined the NDA last week, declared its candidates on two seats - Bijnor and Baghpat - from Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The senior National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner BJP had announced 51 candidates from the state on Saturday.

According to a post on X, Chandan Chauhan will be RLD's candidate from Bijnor and Dr Rajkumar Sangwan from Baghpat constituencies.

While Chauhan is a sitting MLA of the party from Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar, Sangwan is a senior leader and national secretary of the party. He has been associated with the RLD since the time of Chaudhary Ajit Singh.

In the previous elections, BJP's Satyapal Singh had won from Baghpat, defeating RLD chief Jayant Singh while BSP's Malook Nagar had won Bijnor.

There is, however, no clarity on the number of seats RLD will be getting to contest in the alliance.

On Saturday, Jayant Singh had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda and formally joined the ruling NDA.

The RLD also announced the name of Yogesh Chaudhary as its candidate for the coming election to the state legislative council where the term of 13 candidates is coming to an end this May.

Till recently, a part of the opposition INDIA bloc, Singh had been warming up to the BJP of late.