Loyalist Sangwan rewarded for his dedication

MEERUT: In a move perceived as a reward for his unwavering dedication, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) nominated its seasoned loyalist and national organisational secretary, Rajkumar Sangwan, from Baghpat, a seat traditionally associated with Jayant Chaudhary’s family, on Monday. The party also announced Chandan Chauhan as its candidate from Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh.

The Baghpat seat holds significant importance in Jat politics, as stalwart Jat and farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh contested and won on this seat three times between 1976 and 1984. Subsequently, his son Chaudhary Ajit Singh represented this seat in the Lok Sabha between 1989 and 2009. However, Ajit Singh’s son and party chief, Jayant Choudhary, lost this seat in the 2019 polls.

“It’s indeed a significant reward bestowed upon me by my party and Jayant ji, and I will try my best to live up to his expectations,” said Sangwan, who emerged from student politics and currently serves the party as the national organisational secretary.

Sangwan, 63, has been a dedicated worker of the RLD for the past 44 years. He was introduced to politics by Chaudhary Charan Singh and is known for his grassroots-level influence. Sangwan has faced imprisonment numerous times, participating in various farmers’ and students’ movements, including the Maya Tyagi incident in Baghpat in 1980.

A PhD degree holder, Sangwan became the Meerut district vice-president of RLD in 1982. Afterward, in 1986, he assumed the role of national vice-president of student RLD. By 1990, he served as the district president of Youth RLD in Meerut, followed by his appointment as the president of western Uttar Pradesh in Youth RLD. In 1995, Chaudhary Ajit Singh appointed him as the state in-charge for the Jharkhand and Bihar elections. After this, he served as the state general secretary and state general secretary, organisation, in RLD.

Sangwan was likely to be declared as candidate from Siwalkhas in the assembly elections, but SP declared Ghulam Mohammad as the candidate from RLD for this seat at the last moment. Sangwan’s loyalty to the party was such that even after being denied a ticket, he went to Ghulam Mohammad’s house to assist him in contesting the elections.