Disgruntled Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday launched yet another attack on the ruling mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar, telling media persons in Patna, “I’ll give up my rebellion if anybody from among the Luv-Kush castes community or the Extremely Backward Class, whose aspirations have been the party’s driving force, is made leader [of the alliance] but not to Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal).“
Mr. Kushwaha has lately been speaking out against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid rumours that he’s acting at the behest of the opposition BJP.
At the press interaction, he added that he was willing to function as an “ordinary party worker worth five rupees”.
A former Union Minister, Mr. Kushwaha merged his party, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), with the JD(U) in March 2021.
Asserting that he was not a claimant for a leadership role in the JD(U), Mr. Kushwaha also said, “The RJD people keep saying a deal was struck at the time of formation of the [grand] alliance and this has led to confusion and turmoil in our party. Only the Chief Minister can put an end to the rumours by announcing that he is not backing Tejashwi Yadav as a leader of the mahagathbandhan for the upcoming 2025 [Bihar] Assembly poll.” If this is not done, Mr. Kushwaha claimed, “Our party [the JD(U)] will sink.”
After the RLSP was merged with the JD(U), Mr. Kushwaha was made chairman of the JD(U)‘s parliamentary board and an MLC of the party. Recently, however, JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said that Mr. Kushwaha now “doesn’t hold any party post; he is merely an MLC”.
To this, Mr. Kushwaha had retorted on Tuesday, “If Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wishes, I am ready to relinquish the post of MLC any time,” and went on to add, “But CM Nitish Kumar makes alliances only for and with his conveniences.”
Mr. Kumar had earlier said that Mr. Kushwaha was “now free to go wherever he wants”.
“Why should I go anywhere? JD(U) is not Nitish Kumar’s party but of Sharad Yadav and others,” Mr. Kushwaha had said in response. He also said that “since the JD(U) is becoming weak”, he has been “trying hard to make it strong and would continue to do so”.
Mr. Kushwaha is said to be upset that the JD(U) has joined hands with the RJD to form the mahagathbandhan government and that Mr. Kumar is pushing for Mr. Tejashwi Yadav to lead the alliance in the next Assembly elections. Mr. Kumar has been seen saying at events, “Ab inko aage badhana hain (now we have to promote him)”, while directing his gaze at Mr. Yadav.
“I have also been asking the CM what deal was struck between him and the RJD, and he should make it public,” Mr. Kushwaha has said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kushwaha is convening a two-day “open session” of his supporters in Patna on February 19-20 to discuss the prevailing situation in the JD(U). “The party is getting weaker and weaker due to internal reasons,” he said.
When asked about the rumours that he was in alliance with the BJP, and it’s at the BJP’s behest that he has been attacking the CM, Mr. Kushwaha said curtly: “How does it matter whether BJP or the Muslim League is behind me?...My only concern now is to save my party as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is being swayed by two-three people close to him and is not able to exercise his own judgment.”
