NDA May Lose Strength in Bihar as RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha Hints at Alliance With RJD
Kushwaha heads the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), which had won 3 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. His party showcased a disappointing performance in the 2015 assembly polls, winning only 2 seats.
Patna, Aug 26: Union Minister and dissident BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha sent a shocker down the NDA camp on Sunday, by dropping a major hint on his potential alliance with the RJD.
Speaking at an event in Patna, Kushwaha said the rice grown by his community would make a perfect kheer if combined with the milk supplied by Yadavs.
"Yaduvanshi ka doodh aur Kushvanshi ka chawal mil jaye to kheer badhiya hogi. Aur us swadisht vyanjan ko ban ne se koi rok nahi sakta hai. (Milk from Yadavs and rice from Kushwahas will combine to form good 'kheer'. No one can prevent this delicious recipe from being prepared)," he said.
Kushwaha heads the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), which had won 3 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. His party showcased a disappointing performance in the 2015 assembly polls, winning only 2 seats.
He had recently turned critical against the NDA after the re-induction of Janata Dal (United) into the alliance. In the past couple of months, he has demanded the BJP to project him as the face of NDA in Bihar. Leaders of his party have also appealed the alliance to project him as the chief ministerial candidate for 2020 assembly elections.
Taking note of Kushwaha's dissidence, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had appealed him to leave the NDA and join the Grand Alliance. "We have ideological similarities. The grand alliance stands for social justice," the former Bihar CM had added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2018 03:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).