Former allies-turned-rivals Akhilesh Yadav and Jayant Chaudhary have crossed swords. Union Minister and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary has now hit back While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav took the first shot.
Akhilesh Yadav’s “chavanni” comment was reference to Jayant’s remark during the 2022 UP election campaign when he had rejected BJP overtures for tieup
Humne chavanni ka rupya bana diya tha, tab bhi humein chhod kar chale gaye wo (I don’t know from where all people came to form an alliance with us. We had increased their value from 25 paise to one full rupee, yet they left us and went away).
Addressing an event recently, Yadav said, “Jaane kahan-kahan se aa gaye the log gathbandhan banane. He said several people had left the SP, but his party had resolved to “tie up with the public, establish social justice, trust the people, give them respect and the public will support us”. “If you had to use some cheap words, you could have at least said them taking my name,” Chaudhary posted on X in an apparent dig at Yadav’s statement. Reacting sharply, UP minister and RLD leader Anil Kumar said Yadav’s statement was “highly objectionable and unfortunate”, alleging that it amounted not only to an insult to Jayant Chaudhary but also to the ideology of Chaudhary Charan Singh and the entire farming community. “Samajwadi Party leaders should not forget that the contribution of the Chaudhary Charan Singh family to the political existence of the Samajwadi Party today can never be forgotten,” Kumar said, adding that the farming community would give a “democratic reply” to the alleged insult in the 2027 Assembly elections. The minister said the RLD would not compromise on the honour of its leaders or the farming community. In a post on X, Mayawati said that Yadav should apologise not only to the RLD and its leader but also to the entire Jat community for “insulting the family of former prime minister (late) Chaudhary Charan Singh”.
