Rashtriya Lok Dal MP Jayant Choudhury is likely to give up his Maanth Assembly seat and continue to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
According to RLD sources, Mr Choudhury sees no role for himself in the 16th Vidhan Sabha since the Samajwadi Party has already got a comfortable majority and the RLD with nine members can only play the role of a “tiny” Opposition since the main Opposition party will now be the BSP.
The SP, in any case, has not made any “friendly gestures” towards the RLD so far. When RLD fielded Mr Jayant Choudhury in the Assembly elections, it had apparently expected a hung Assembly in which the Congress-RLD combine could play a key role in government formation. Mr Jayant Choudhury, at that point of time, was also tipped as chief ministerial candidate by those who expected the Congress-RLD combine to perform exceedingly well.
The results have not only deflated the expectations of the alliance but have also left the two parties with precious little to do in the Assembly. Party sources now claim that with Mr Jayant Choudhury in the Lok Sabha, the RLD will soon start preparing for the general elections — with or without the Congress — under his leadership.
A senior RLD leader who lost the recent Assembly elections said, “We do not want Mr Jayant Choudhury to remain a silent spectator in the state Assembly where we lack a respectable strength. He is better off in the Lok Sabha and can help the party gear up for the next general elections.”
However, some in the RLD want Mr Choudhury to continue in state politics and “boost the morale of party cadres”. This group reasons that if Mr Choudhury vacates his Assembly seat, it would be tough for the RLD to retain the Assembly seat.