By IANS,
New Delhi : The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Ajit Singh announced its entry into the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) here Monday. The RLD will have a poll pact with the main NDA constituent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The move was announced at a joint press conference addressed by Ajit Singh, NDA convener Sharad Yadav and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, who said on the occasion that alliances had now become an essential part of Indian politics.
“NDA has the biggest profile of supporters of weaker sections and farmers and this gets completed with Ajit Singh joining the coalition,” Sharad Yadav said.
Led by Ajit Singh, son of former prime minister and farmers’ leader Charan Singh, the RLD has its traditional support base in the sugarcane belt of western Uttar Pradesh.