Upendra Kushwaha resigns: In a major upheaval in Bihar politics, disgruntled Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Upendra Kushwaha resigned from the party on Monday (Febuary 20). Kushwaha announced his new party - Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal.
"A new political inning begins today. Barring a few, everyone in JD(U) was expressing concern. Meeting was held with elected colleagues and decision was taken. Nitish Kumar did good in beginning but in the end, path on which he started walking is bad for him and Bihar," Kushwaha said during a press conference in Patna.
"We've decided to form a new party - Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal. This has been decided unanimously. I've been made its national president. The party will take forward the legacy of Karpoori Thakur. We'll work towards rejecting the agreement made with RJD," he added.
The 62-year-old leader had merged his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) with JD-U in March 2021, however, his relationship with Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar soured soon after.
Kushwaha was said to be particularly upset by Nitish Kumar over his decision to make RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as his deputy while ignoring him.
Kushwaha, who was made JD-U's parliamentary board chief, had earlier ecalled his association with Nitish Kumar dating back to Samata Party days to assert that he will not quit the JD(U) which would be akin to "a person giving up one's share in ancestral wealth".
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The CM, however, made it clear that the party was not bothered by the mutinous leader's antics (party ko koi matlab nahin hai).
Kushwaha also alleged that the party machinery was already at work to suppress his voice of dissent and he was being asked to stay away from functions held by other non-political organisations.
"I wonder whether the CM is able to exercise his judgment any more or is being manipulated by a coterie of people with vested interests", Kushwaha had whose return to JD-U in March, 2021, had brought him out of political wilderness.
(With inputs from PTI)
