Akhilesh-Jayant sparring takes caste turn in UP

Ahead of the assembly elections, a fierce war of words has erupted between Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and RLD leader Jayant Choudhary, gradually turning into a battle over caste identity.

During the last assembly election, when asked about a possible switch, Choudhary had remarked that he was not a 'chavanni' (small coin) who would switch sides. However, before the Lok Sabha elections, Choudhary joined the NDA. Yadav, in a recent comment, said he had made 'chavanni' a rupee, but "they left".

RLD supporters portrayed the remark as an insult to the Jats to which Choudhary belongs. Choudhary too expressed his displeasure in a post on X.


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"If you had to use cheap words, you could have at least said them taking my name, it wouldn't have been an issue... Targeting the Jat community and saying ABCD we taught? I've seen this arrogance up close and I believe such behaviour only brings downfall," he posted on X.

The exchanges intensified recently after the murder of Haryana singer Ankit Balyan, when Akhilesh attacked the BJP government over law and order and again framed the issue in caste terms.

"The BJP is only for your votes. Have the BJP's allied Jat leaders gone underground?" Yadav said.

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Choudhary responded, saying: "In a heinous crime like murder, seeking out the caste of the deceased and saying that people of his caste are enraged is, in itself, a display of insensitivity."