RLSP Head to Skip Patna NDA Dinner, Unhappy With CM’s Influence

RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha seems to be miffed with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s influence within the NDA.

RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha. 

(Photo: IANS)

In another blow to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), President of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) Upendra Kushwaha has decided to give the NDA dinner in Bihar, on Thursday, 7 June, a miss, reported CNN News 18.

As per reports, the RLSP chief and Union minister of state for HRD, Kushwaha, does not seem pleased with the growing influence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar within the NDA in the state.

According to a Firstpost report, M Anand, an RLSP spokesperson, told CNN News 18, that while the party has faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they demand an NDA meeting ahead of the next Bihar elections with all alliance party members in attendance, so as to ascertain the chief ministerial candidate.

Without any NDA meeting, if any party projects its leaders as CM candidate, that would be unjust.

M Anand, RSLP Spokesperson to CNN News 18

Besides the RLSP, even the Janata Dal (United), led by Nitish Kumar, seem annoyed with the NDA. Shyam Rajak of the JD(U) was quoted telling CNN News 18, that even though the party is a part of the NDA for the benefit of Bihar, the BJP should not be irresponsible towards them.

He further added that if the NDA wishes to reap the benefits of having Kumar on their side, they would have to justice to both the party as well as to Kumar.

Nitish Kumar and JD(U) are playing a major role in Bihar. We had contested election on 25 seats. They (NDA) will have to give us 25 seats, no question of any lesser number of seats. If NDA wants to be benefited by Nitish Kumar’s image, they’ll have to do justice to JD(U) and him.

Shyam Rajak, JD(U) to CNN News 18

With just a year remaining in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the growing discontent among the allies of the NDA could become a cause of concern for the ruling party.

However, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan has refuted rumours of any possible rift within the coalition calling mere speculation of the media. He went on to say that the BJP led coalition remains intact.

There is no discord in the NDA, please keep that in mind. The coalition is intact. All the speculation has been created by the media and you may end up being disappointed.

Ram Vilas Paswan, Chief, Lok Janshakti Party

The clarification from Paswan came as a rebuttal to rumours and questions regarding the claims made by the JD(U), of being the “elder brother” in the NDA in Bihar.

(With inputs from Firstpost)