NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Lok Dal supremo, Jayant Chowdhary, following the conclusion of the I.N.D.I.A Alliance meeting, is making strategic moves within the Bollywood sphere. Jayant, whose party has been in alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, is currently in Mumbai, reaching out to celebrities for their support.
In Mumbai spent some time with Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt @jayantrld pic.twitter.com/vH07igeLJ6
— shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) September 2, 2023
In a recent development, Jayant, accompanied by the Party’s vice president, Shahid Siddiqui, was seen engaging with prominent figures in the entertainment industry. The duo met Pooja Bhatt, a former Bigg Boss OTT contestant who has transitioned from actress to filmmaker along with her father and film director, Mahesh Bhatt. Their rendezvous also included a meeting with Javed Akhtar, the former Rajya Sabha MP and renowned screenwriter.
While Javed Akhtar has consistently and boldly voiced his criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pooja Bhatt’s noteworthy endorsement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra,’ which she actively participated in during the preceding year, serves as a testament to her discernible political leanings. It’s worth noting that the Bollywood legend Shabana Azmi, who happens to be Javed Akhtar’s wife, hails from the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, specifically Azamgarh. The Husband-Wife duo is known to be ardent supporters of the Congress party and have consistently raised their voices against the BJP’s policies and actions.
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This Bollywood outreach seems to be a trend, as just a couple of days ago, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee visited the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan at his iconic abode, Jalsa, during her two-day sojourn for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) meeting.
It’s always a pleasure to meet @Javedakhtarjadu , his understanding of Indian society and politics is brilliant. In Mumbai it’s always a treat to meet him. @jayantrld and me with One of the finest poet and writer of our times. pic.twitter.com/4farMpiuRv
— shahid siddiqui (@shahid_siddiqui) September 2, 2023
Jayant Singh, the Chairman of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), embarked on his political journey as a Member of Parliament representing Mathura. However, his political trajectory encountered a significant setback when he lost his parliamentary seat in the 2014 General Election to the formidable BJP candidate, Hema Malini. In response to the changing political landscape, both the RLD and the Samajwadi Party (SP) forged a collaborative alliance in 2017, with the common goal of countering the influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.
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While the RLD had a limited presence in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with no wins in its three contested seats, the party fared better in the 2022 state legislative assembly elections, securing 9 out of the 33 seats it contested for. These efforts exemplify the party’s commitment to expanding its reach and influence even in the realms of Bollywood.