Comparing Charan Singh's legacy to 'small election' of 2024 belittles him: Jayant Chaudhary
New Delhi (PTI): To compare the legacy of Chaudhary Charan Singh with a "small election" of 2024 is belittling him, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary said, refusing to spill beans over the said "deal" between his party and the BJP.
He was asked about speculations of the RLD joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and switching over from the INDIA bloc after Bharat Ratna was announced for his grandfather.
"If you compare a small election of 2024 with the great legacy of Chaudhary Charan Singh, you are belittling him and insulting his supporters. It is an insult to an honour like Bharat Ratna," Chaudhary said.
Asked about the allegations of a "deal" between RLD and BJP, he said, "The process of deciding on Bharat Ratna is a pious process. The government takes decisions in the interest of the nation, keeping in mind people's sentiment... 37 years after his death, a government thought of honouring him. If they are seeing something wrong with this and if they think there is a transaction, it shows their ideological decline."
Asked what went wrong with the Samajwadi Party, he said it is an "internal matter", adding that he will explain later why he changed his stand.
"Those are internal matters, based on trust. Whatever discussions took place between me and Akhilesh ji, I will not discuss it outside... When our alliance is decided and announced, I will be able to tell why I changed my stand and the way ahead," he said.
On his earlier remarks that he will not "flip like a coin", Singh said there should be an "expiry date" to remarks.
"This used to happen earlier as well, but earlier the records were not available all the time. In the times of internet, you can also see my statements from 20 years ago when I fought with the support of the BJP and became an MP from Mathura. There is an expiry date to statements, something was said during poll campaign... Amit Shah had said something about me, I said something to keep my people together. I did not intend to insult him, nor did he take it personally. Otherwise, would Chaudhary sahab get a Bharat Ratna?" he said.
"I am responsible for Lok Dal. My responsibility is to see how I can do better for my people and how I can help farmers. I will take a decision based on that," he added.
The remarks come amid speculations of the RLD joining BJP-led NDA ahead of the general elections.
Singh on Saturday praised the Modi government for honouring his grandfather and former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh with Bharat Ratna.
On Friday, after the announcement that Bharat Ratna will be conferred on Singh, Chaudhary had said "Dil jeet liya (They have won my heart)".
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Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
