Nawab Kokab Hamid, an old Ajit Singh loyalist and former legislative party leader in state assembly has resigned from Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)yesterday. The leader took this decision at Baghpat and is expected to join the ruling Samajwadi Party very soon.
Mr Hamid said, though he regarded party chief Ajit Singh a lot, RLD’s base in western UP was eroding fast and
he have failed in taking right steps to restore it.
The resignation of Mr Hamid has came after Ajit Singh announced Chaudhary Mustaq of Muzaffar Nagar as party
candidate for ongoing Legislative Council elections who would be filing his nomination tomorrow. The party sources
said, Mr Hamid was incensed over the Mustaq being made candidate since he was expecting himself being in the
upper house after losing assembly election from Bagpat.
Mr Hamid, a five-time MLA and close associate of Ajit Singh since 1996 was defeated in recently held assembly
polls from Bagpat assembly segment which is part of the parliamentary constituency represented by Ajit Singh
himself. However, declining refusal of council ticket for being a reason for deserting RLD, Mr Hamid said, “I have
been a member of the House for several times and never had asked Ajit Singh for sending me in to Legislative
Council.”
“Owing to arbitrary decisions of the leadership, the party was losing its base in its bastion of western
districts which was a more serious matter,” he added.
The former RLD leader is said to have very good relations with Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav
and in view of Muslims getting importance in SP, he might soon join ruling party, the sources said. Just before the
assembly elections, another close aide of Ajit Singh and former minister Anuradha Chaudhary had joined the SP.
