Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, March 12
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), a regional political outfit in Bihar, on Friday split with its senior leaders deserting the party that had put its existence at stake.
Besides State President Birendra Kushwaha, General Secretary Normal Kushwaha, Women’s wing President Madhu Mehta, Youth Wing President Sajjan Kashyap today quit the RLSP and joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad. They were given membership of the RJD by State President Jagdananad Singh at the party office on Beerchand Patel Road. Leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav was also present.
The sudden action of a section of the office-bearers came as the RLSP headed by the former Union Minister, Upendra Kushwaha is reportedly merging RLSP with the JDU on Sunday here. Upendra Kushwaha said here the party had convened a meeting of the general council on Saturday when a resolution for merger with the JDU would be passed.
Upendra Kushwaha was close to the Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar and one of the founders of Samta Party. He was elected leader of opposition in Bihar assembly in 2004. Later, following differences with Nitish Kumar, he left the Samta Party and joined Nationalist Congress Party headed by Sharad Parwar. Later in 2010 assembly elections, he returned to JDU led by Nitish Kumar. However, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Upendra Kushwaha joined NDA and his party was given tickets in three constituencies and won all the three.
Again, in 2018, he left NDA and joined Grand Alliance led by Lalu Prasad Yadav. He failed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In last year’s assembly elections, he contested as Grand Alliance nominee, but his candidates failed in all the constituencies.
Upendra would be returning to NDA after two years.
The former minister of state for education in the NDA-I government of Narendra Modi had launched a campaign to reform education in Bihar and was critical of Nitish Kumar for neglecting the education sector.
Upendra Kushwaha ‘s return to JDU fold would strengthen the Kurmi-Kushwaha combination of votes among the OBC block and their consolidation would mean more bargaining power in the elections. Last month, state JDU President Bashistha Narain Singh, an upper caste Rajput was replaced by Umesh Kuswaha as state JDU president and RCP Sinha, a Kurmi caste former bureaucrat became the national president of JDU ending the tenures of upper castes leaders like Lallan Singh, Vijay Kumar Chaudhury and Bashistha Narain Singh in JDU politics.
