RLD likely to seek ministerial berth for its Muslim MLA

Lucknow: Amid speculation that UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath might expand his cabinet soon, BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal is considering to pitch Ashraf Ali Khan, one of its two Muslim MLAs, for a ministerial berth.
RLD has total nine MLAs and is currently represented by its MLA Anil Kumar, a Dalit, in the ministry. Sources in RLD said the party has settled on the name of Khan, who had defeated BJP's Suresh Rana by around 11,000 votes in the 2022 UP elections, for the second ministerial berth.
Rana was an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that brought Jat and Dalit communities into confrontation with the Muslim community. The riots are believed to have shaken the foundation of RLD, which got decimated in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2017 assembly elections.
As an ally of Samajwadi Party then, RLD managed to garner Muslim support to win nine seats in the 2022 assembly elections. Besides Ashraf, RLD's other Muslim MLA, Ghulam Mohammad, won from Siwalkhas seat in Meerut by defeating BJP's Maninder Pal by around 9,000 votes in 2022.
Interestingly, both the Muslim MLAs voted in favour of BJP during the Rajya Sabha elections in Feb last year. This was after RLD joined the BJP-led NDA before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections following the conferment of Bharat Ratna on former PM and the grandfather of RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, Charan Singh. Jayant is a minister in the Narendra Modi govt at the Centre.
RLD's plan to promote a Muslim face is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its ties with Muslims, who play a decisive role in swinging the electoral fortunes in many constituencies in west UP.
By proposing a Muslim for a ministerial position, experts said, RLD could be aiming to address the concerns of the Muslim community while strengthening its position within the alliance. A senior RLD functionary requesting anonymity said the idea is to play up a possible Dalit-Muslim combination card as part of preparation for the 2027 assembly elections.
Sources said RLD has been trying to tap Muslim community which has been showing signs of discontent vis-a-vis their perceived marginalisation under the BJP govt. This combination could also signal to the electorate that RLD is prioritising inclusive politics and seeking to build a broader coalition, analysts said.