Traditionally perceived as a Jat-centric party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is planning an organisational overhaul ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by offering representation to 29 most backward castes (MBCs).
In a letter to RLD president and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, Parliamentary Board Chairman K C Tyagi submitted a list of 29 castes concentrated across western Uttar Pradesh’s Hastinapur, Ruhelkhand, and Braj regions, areas that collectively cover around 100 Assembly seats.
The 29 castes are Gosain, Kamboj, Gaderia, Darji, Ansari, Baddhai, Dhiman-Lohar, Bhurji, Kandu, Maali-Saini, Dhobi, Halwai, Jogi, Kahaar, Dhimar, Koeri, Kumhar, Mochi, Momin Ansar, Muslim Banjara, Sunaar, Bhat, Teli, Thathera, Naai, Kunjada, Natt, Biyaar and another caste group of Kahaar, Dhivar, Mallah, Kashysp.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Tyagi said he advised the leadership to induct leaders from these communities into district, regional, and state-level party units to broaden the RLD’s vote base and strengthen the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), in which the RLD is a partner at both the Centre and state levels.
“Increasing the RLD’s strength will further solidify the NDA. These MBCs initially backed the Congress, later shifted to the Janata Dal, supported the BJP during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and then gravitated toward the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Today, these castes are at a crossroads, and we can bring them into our fold,” he said.
The move aims to counter the Opposition Samajwadi Party’s (SP) PDA formula—Pichchda (Backwards), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (minorities)—while competing alongside existing NDA allies like the Nishad Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Sabha (SBSP) for MBC support.
Inspiration from Nitish Kumar’s Karpoori Thakur model
The proposed push draws inspiration from the social engineering model pioneered in Bihar by Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, based on the Karpoori Thakur formula.
Tyagi, a veteran former JD(U) leader who joined RLD earlier this year, noted that although Kurmis constitute less than 3 per cent of Bihar’s population, Nitish Kumar maintained governance for over two decades by consolidating extremely backward castes (EBCs) and MBCs. Applying a similar model in UP aims to create a broader coalition beyond the party’s core Jat electorate.
The MBC proposal forms part of the RLD’s broader strategy to shed its single-caste label.
The party previously appointed a Dalit minister in the UP cabinet and fielded Jat and Gujjar candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The RLD recently appointed Aeshwarya Raj Singh, a Rajput, as its UP state president, shortly after naming Anupam Mishra, a Brahmin, as working state president.
Currently holding 9 MLAs, 1 MLC, 2 Lok Sabha MPs, and 1 Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, the RLD seeks to expand its electoral footprint beyond its traditional strongholds.
Jayant Chaudhary's RLD plans to broaden its organisational base by offering representation to 29 Most Backward Castes in western Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections (File photo). 
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