Suspense over continuation of RLSP’s Upendra Kushwaha in NDA gets longer

Suspense over the continuation of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) in the national democratic alliance (NDA) remained on Thursday as the party president Upendra Kushwaha heaped the scorn on chief minister Nitish Kumar and BJP leaders, especially of Bihar unit.

Addressing a gathering at Town Hall premises here, Kushwaha leader said the manner in which development and education have taken the back seat under the Nitish-led NDA government, his party is forced to explore the possibility.

“Neither Nitish Kumar’s description of me as neech, nor the seat-sharing issues matter to me. We would have tolerated all acerbic personal remarks happily, had Nitish Kumar not disrespected our party’s 25-points demand aimed at streamlining a host of things spreading the aura of education in the remotest part of the state,” the union minister said after RLSP’s two days chintan shivir (brain-storming session) at Valmikinagar in West Champaran.

However, confusion reigned towards the end of meeting as Kushwaha, quoting the lines from Mahabharata, announced the drawing of a battle line saying, “aab yach nahi, ran hoga (Battle line would be drawn, no courting now any more).”

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines, he chose to avoid a direct answer. “The indications are clear who and against what we have drawn the battle line,” he said . But when asked if he would put in his papers as the minister, his said: “This is the prerogative of prime minister to sack me, if he deems it fit.”

During over an hour long speech, he took on chief minister Nitish Kumar and BJP leaders from Bihar and said their conscience are not clean.

“We are little upset with the party’s central leadership, especially the manner in which they denied us to meet the top leaders including the party president and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when we wanted to resolve the seat sharing issue. During the same time, back in Bihar, attempts were being made to engineer defection in my party,” Kushwaha, whose party is an ally in ruling NDA in Bihar and the Centre, said.

Ties between BJP and RLSP have become strained after BJP joined hands with the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) in Bihar in 2017. The rift took a turn for the worse further after the NDA seat-sharing was announced for Bihar last month — both the BJP and JD (U) said they would contest an equal number of seats, presumably 17 seats each, leaving the remaining six in the 40 member Bihar’s quota for alliance partners Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and RLSP.

Describing the education as the wherewithal for the development of the mankind, he said the “so-called Nitish Model was only a farce”.

“Due to erroneous processes, non deserving candidates are becoming teachers. Again, while the teachers are being pressed into non academic work, criminals are calling shots. Muzaffarpur shelter episode and Supreme Court’s remark only serve to pooh pooh the so called Nitish Model,” he said, calling upon people to throw out an irresponsible government.

He also criticised BJP for raking up the Ayodhya temple issue ahead of Lok Sabha election. “This is none of a party’s business to decide where temples or a mosque will come up. Moreover, raising this issue during the election time to take the political mileage is unfortunate,” said Kushwaha.