LUCKNOW, Sept. 22 -- The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has sought to dismiss speculations that Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami's meeting with party chief and Union minister Jayant Chaudhary on Sunday was politically motivated, but simultaneously said no one should have any problem if he wishes to enter politics. "Mohammed Shami is a sportsman who has hoisted India's flag at the world level, while Jayant Chaudhary is a cabinet minister. In Shami's home district, Chaudhary has developed sports facilities using Rs.1.5 crore from his MP fund and has dedicated 100% of his fund to sports. Shami had come to thank him for the initiative. Drawing political conclusions from the meeting is wrong," RLD spokesperson Rohit Agarwal said. However, he further said: "Mohammed Shami is also a citizen of India. If he wants to contest elections, why should anyone have a problem with it? Why is there discomfort? This is beyond our understanding." The statement does not amount to an announcement that Shami has decided to enter politics or contest the 2027 election. But the RLD spokesperson's willingness to publicly defend the possibility of Shami contesting polls keeps the political option open rather than ruling it out. HT tried to contact Haseeb Ahmad, Shami's elder brother, over the phone for clarification on the political buzz surrounding the meeting, but he did not respond. The RLD's response therefore has two distinct elements. Agarwal has rejected the suggestion that the meeting itself was political, while making it clear that the party sees nothing unusual or objectionable in Shami entering electoral politics. This allows the party to separate the immediate purpose of the meeting from a potential future political decision by Shami. The comments also come amid reports that the RLD is identifying potential candidates with strong local or public profiles as it prepares for negotiations over its share of assembly seats in the NDA. According to sources, the exercise includes looking at candidates whose names and local standing could strengthen the party's bargaining position when constituencies are discussed with the BJP. In that context, Shami's name carries significance because he is not merely a prospective political entrant but a nationally recognised sports personality with roots in Amroha. That makes any discussion about his possible candidature qualitatively different from routine candidate scouting. Had the RLD simply denied any political significance to the meeting, the episode could have been treated as a courtesy meeting between a prominent sportsperson and a Union minister. Instead, Agarwal's statement indicates that the party does not regard Shami's possible transition from cricket to politics as something that requires justification. Agarwal framed the issue as an individual's choice to enter electoral politics, questioning why such a possibility should itself generate "discomfort". That formulation is likely to keep the Shami question alive even as the RLD maintains that no candidature has been announced. For now, there is no confirmation that Shami has joined the RLD, agreed to contest from Amroha or even decided to enter electoral politics. The immediate development is therefore not a confirmed candidature, but the RLD's decision to leave that possibility explicitly open while preparing for the larger 2027 electoral negotiations....