The BJP MLA whose remarks saw Akhilesh spring to Mayawati ‘defence’ is rising Jat face of west UP

Chaudhary forayed into politics with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) – the RSS student wing – and subsequently served as an office-bearer of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the BJP’s youth wing. He has also been actively associated with other affiliates of the RSS and during his tenure in the Bajrang Dal, advocated “cow protection”.

In 1992, Chaudhary was part of the BJP team led by Murli Manohar Joshi that hoisted the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

In more recent times, Chaudhary came close to the party’s leadership during his stint as a member of former Union minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur’s team.

However, his political career really hit a high after he defeated eight-time MLA Shyam Sunder Sharma in the 2022 Assembly polls from the Mant seat by around 9,500 votes.

Chaudhary’s victory over Sharma, who had been winning the seat since 1989, only losing it briefly to Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in 2012, elevated him as the BJP’s young Jat face, who wielded considerable influence in western Uttar Pradesh.

Just ahead of the recent Lok Sabha polls, in April, Chaudhary”s promise to build a road within six months in Muvarikpur village of his constituency prompted 1,200-odd villagers to roll back their call to boycott the elections.

Days after his remarks stirred both the BSP and SP ranks, and reignited talks of a realignment between the two parties — before Mayawati quashed any possibility of the same — Chaudhary was seen sharing the stage with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other top leaders in Mathura Monday during the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations.

Chaudhary asserted that he had not used derogatory language against the former UP CM. “In the debate, the BSP leader alleged that corruption was rampant in Ayodhya under Adityanath. I just reminded him of corruption during their tenure. It was a usual debate which was ‘twisted’ by the SP chief, who has long been wanting an alliance with the BSP for political benefits,” he told The Indian Express.

BJP leaders have all rallied behind the Mant MLA, brushing off Akhilesh’s statement. There was nothing “derogatory” in Chaudhary’s remarks against the BSP chief, they say, accusing the Opposition of trying to give the issue a “caste” twist with an eye on the bypolls to be held in the state soon.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said the BJP never disrespected Opposition leaders and, in turn, demanded an apology from Akhilesh for the 1995 guest house incident – where Mayawati was locked up and allegedly assaulted by SP workers. It was the SP that had a “history of being against OBCs, SCs and STs”, Maurya said.