Sidelined By JD(U)-BJP bonhomie, MoS Upendra Kushwaha-Headed RLSP To Part ways With NDA In Bihar

Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, President of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), has resigned over the seat sharing for the 2019 national polls after saying that he would not participate in a meeting of the ruling BJP and its allies in Delhi, confirming the speculation that he may quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"Kushwaha is likely to announce his parting of ways with the BJP today," said a senior RLSP leader, as reported by NDTV.

The Union Minister has been upset on the seat-sharing for the 2019 national polls, in which JD(U) headed by Nitish Kumar has struck a better deal than other allies in Bihar. Kushwaha was not to be given more than two out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The RLSP is likely to join the opposition, i.e. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress.

The RLSP criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for taking ‘unnecessary’ decisions, and their resolution stated, "We are not opposed to the construction of mosques and temples. But this is not the function of political parties, and their meddling in such matters causes tensions in the society and diverts the attention of the public from real issues." Nitish Kumar led Bihar government was also criticised in the resolution.