Khap leaders anoint Jayant Chaudhary as successor of Charan Singh’s legacy

With thousands of people in attendance, observers said, the event was mounted as a show of strength by RLD

At a social event that has political ramifications, leaders of different khaps in western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana on Sunday presented the traditional headgear to Jayant Chaudhary and formally anointed him as the successor of Chaudhary Charan Singh’s legacy. It not only meant that from now on his name will be preceded by Chaudhary in social and political gatherings, but his word will carry weight in socio-political issues.

Held in Chhaprauli town of Baghpat district, the traditional seat of the Chaudhary family, the event marked the “rasma pagdi” ceremony of Mr. Jayant’s father and former RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) president , who passed away in May last owing to COVID-19 related complications.

With thousands of people in attendance, observers said, the event was mounted as a show of strength by the RLD. It came days after the mammoth Muzaffarnagar panchayat, where a section of the media got the impression that the Bhartiya Kisan Union’s (BKU) Rakesh Tikait, who has been leading the farmers’ protest against the contentious farm laws in the region, is going to be the political face of farmers as well.