NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has retained the Meerapur assembly seat in the 2024 Uttar Pradesh by-polls, signaling its continued relevance in the politically sensitive region of western Uttar Pradesh. RLD candidate Anand Chaudhary emerged victorious, defeating his closest rival from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), marking a crucial win for the party in its traditional stronghold.
The 2024 by-election was a high-stakes contest, with the RLD seeking to consolidate its position among farmers and the Jat community, a critical voter base in Meerapur. Anand Chaudharyโs campaign focused on issues like farmer welfare, water management, and unemployment, resonating well with the rural electorate.
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The BJP, fielding Manoj Kumar, sought to make inroads into this RLD bastion by leveraging the partyโs focus on national development and infrastructure projects. However, Chaudharyโs victory by a significant margin indicates the enduring loyalty of the constituency to the RLDโs grassroots-centric approach.
In the 2019 by-polls, Meerapur also witnessed a strong performance by the RLD, when its candidate Naim Ul Hasan narrowly defeated BJPโs Avnish Tyagi. That election was seen as a litmus test for RLDโs ability to withstand BJPโs growing influence in western UP. The 2019 win helped the party reaffirm its connection with its core voter base and laid the groundwork for future contests like this yearโs by-poll.
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The RLDโs retention of Meerapur highlights the resilience of regional parties in an increasingly polarized political landscape. For the BJP, the loss serves as a reminder of the challenges it faces in wooing rural and community-based vote banks in western UP.
The by-poll results come as a boost for RLD ahead of the 2025 assembly elections, positioning it as a key player in opposition coalitions aiming to challenge BJPโs dominance in the state.
Meerapurโs by-poll verdict underscores the evolving dynamics of Uttar Pradesh politics, where regional identity and local issues remain pivotal.
