Jayant, Akhilesh, RLD lock horns over Jat pride with ‘chavanni’ remark

Context

The political atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh has heated up following remarks by Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav that have been widely interpreted as a jibe at former ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and its chief, Jayant Chaudhary. Speaking at an event, Yadav said, "Who knows where these alliance partners came from? We turned a chavanni into a rupee, and even then they left us." The comment, a play on the 25-paise coin, was seen as a reference to the RLD's departure from the SP-led alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The controversy has escalated into a multi-party confrontation, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the RLD all accusing Yadav of insulting the Jat community and the political legacy of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, Jayant's grandfather. The exchange comes as parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 state assembly elections, making the row a potential flashpoint in the state's complex caste and alliance arithmetic.

Akhilesh Yadav's Defense and Counterattack

In a press conference at the SP headquarters, Akhilesh Yadav rejected allegations that his party had a history of breaking alliances, responding directly to BSP chief Mayawati's criticism. "The Samajwadi Party never breaks alliances. When we walk together, we fulfil our commitment. Socialists have always stood by their partners," he said.

Mayawati had earlier taken to X to condemn Yadav's remark, calling it "completely improper, indecent and highly shameful." She demanded an apology to the RLD and the Chaudhary family, accusing the SP of using alliances for its own benefit before abandoning former partners.

Yadav, however, turned the tables by targeting the BJP and its allies. He claimed that the BJP was offering its partners a raw deal in seat-sharing negotiations, suggesting that a party offered 30 seats should receive 120. "BJP should increase the share of seats given to its allies. If a partner is being offered 30 seats, it should be given 120. That is how allies are respected," he said, naming the RLD, SBSP, Nishad Party, and Apna Dal as examples.

Yadav also announced that the SP and its allies were making "double preparations" to contest all 403 assembly seats, and criticized the BJP government over inflation, primary education, and alleged police excesses against farmers in Meerut. He reaffirmed the SP's commitment to its alliances, vowing to work towards forming a "historic government" and promising a separate manifesto for persons with disabilities.

RLD and BJP Hit Back

Jayant Chaudhary, now a Union minister of state, responded sharply on social media, accusing Yadav of being more concerned about his allies' electoral prospects than his own party's standing. "He's worried about the Rashtriya Lok Dal's seats, not his own. He's concerned about the prices of gulab jamun and rasgulla, not about sugarcane farmers," Chaudhary posted, in an apparent reference to Yadav's focus on sweets and vehicles rather than core issues.

In a separate statement, Chaudhary challenged Yadav directly: "In the battle of politics, if you had to use some cheap words, you could at least have taken my name. It wouldn't have been an issue. But targeting the Jat community and claiming that you taught us the ABCD of politics? I've seen this arrogance up close, and I believe such behaviour only leads to downfall."

The BJP joined the chorus, accusing Yadav of insulting the entire Jat community. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said, "If Akhilesh Yadav is calling Jayant Chaudhary 'chavanni' without taking his name, it means that he is calling the same to the entire Jat community." Sharma highlighted Chaudhary Charan Singh's legacy as a top farmer leader, adding that calling his grandson a 'chavanni' was an insult to the community.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi suggested that Yadav was "feeling very isolated and troubled," while Uttar Pradesh minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap warned, "You'll have to bear the consequences of insulting RLD." Keshav Prasad Maurya, the deputy chief minister, went further, saying, "The truth is that the SP chief has squandered what Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) built."

BSP and SBSP Weigh In

Mayawati's intervention was notable for its demand that Yadav apologize specifically to the Chaudhary family, seeking to connect the controversy to Charan Singh's legacy and the wider farmer politics of western Uttar Pradesh. Her move also gives the BSP an opening to attack the SP's social engineering, which has historically relied on a Jat-Muslim combination in several constituencies.

Om Prakash Rajbhar, chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and a minister in the UP government, launched a blistering attack on Yadav, accusing him of "losing his mental balance" and "making false political assumptions." Rajbhar mocked the SP's PDA plank—standing for Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak—by reinterpreting it as "Peet dega Ahir, Peet dega Alpsankhyak" (Ahir will beat, minority will beat).

Rajbhar also defended the RLD, reminding Yadav that the same 'chavanni' had helped the SP increase its tally from 47 seats in 2017 to 120 in 2022. "If you are dreaming of 27, prepare for the next birth. It won't happen in this birth," he said, adding, "If you want to live in India, you will have to sing Vande Mataram. Otherwise, go abroad."

The Political Stakes

The controversy has handed the BJP, RLD, and BSP a common line of attack against the SP, even though they are otherwise political rivals. With Jats constituting an estimated 10-15% of the population in parts of western Uttar Pradesh and capable of influencing over 50 assembly seats, the row has significant electoral implications.

The RLD, which shifted from the SP alliance to the NDA before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after the Modi government conferred the Bharat Ratna on Chaudhary Charan Singh, is now looking to consolidate its Jat support base. Party working president Anupam Mishra said the issue has been left to the Jat community to judge, while sources indicated that the RLD aims to strengthen its bargaining position with the BJP during seat-sharing talks.

SP spokesperson Sudhir Panwar dismissed the controversy as being blown out of proportion, arguing that elections will ultimately be fought on farmer distress and inflation. He characterized Yadav's remark as a variation of the "Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram" phenomenon, referring to political defections.

The exchange reflects the broader volatility of alliance politics in Uttar Pradesh, where parties are jostling for position ahead of 2027. In the 2022 assembly elections, 16 Jat MLAs were elected—10 from the BJP, 4 from the RLD, and 2 from the SP—while in 2024, three Jat MPs were elected, one each from the SP, BJP, and RLD. The numbers underscore the community's electoral weight and why the 'chavanni' remark has struck such a nerve.