# RLD appoints eastern UP leader as state chief to expand base

2026-08-10T14:06:20+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has appointed Aeshwarya Raj Singh as its Uttar Pradesh unit chief hours after Dr Ramashish Rai resigned from the post and quit the party. Singh, 43, hails from Basti district in eastern UP, a departure from the party's traditional western UP stronghold. The move reflects party chief Jayant Chaudhary's 'Look East' strategy to build a presence in politically significant eastern UP ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Singh had contested the 2017 Assembly election from Basti on an RLD ticket but lost. Eastern UP has over 150 Assembly seats, dominated by BJP, SP and BSP. The RLD, part of the NDA, currently lacks organisational depth in the region.

## Coverage

- newindianexpress.com <https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/uttar-pradesh/2026/Aug/10/rld-picks-basti-leader-as-up-chief-in-bid-to-expand-party-base-beyond-western-up>

Tags: 2027 Assembly elections, eastern UP, Jayant Chaudhary, party expansion, RLD, Uttar Pradesh politics
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