Upendra Kushwaha tells Nitish Kumar ‘ant bura to sab bura’; parts ways to float party
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, February 20: Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Monday floated Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) after quitting the Janata Dal (United). He squarely blamed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for compromising the legacy of Karpuri Thakur, former CM of the state.
“I had the options to either be a mute spectator to those elements who will strangle the state or think of alternative. I told the chief minister that the emerging situation in the state was not good. I also told him that the JD (U) is losing the base in the state after the formation of Mahagathbandhan,” Kushwaha told reporters at the Maurya Hotel in Patna.
Kushwaha, who was the JD (U) Parliamentary Board president announced that he would float a new party — Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD). “Ant bura to sab bura (all be bad if the end is bad). Nitish Kumar has abandoned all the legacy of Karpuri Thakur. He is openly saying that Bihar will be led by the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He has forgotten his slogan of 15 years versus 15 years in the last Assembly elections,” said Kushwaha.
The former Union Minister had been with the Bihar chief minister when Samata Party was formed in 1994 at the initiative of socialist George Fernandes. “Nitish Kumar was instrumental in uprooting the anarchy in the state. But in the end he joined the same forces which had shown the horrors of crime in Bihar,” added Kushwaha.
While Kushwaha is widely known to lack mass base in Bihar, his caste constituency – koeri – has vote base across the state. The Bihar chief minister hails from the Kurmi caste. Kurmi-Koeri caste combination, as described by Kushwaha as ‘Luv-Kush’, is known to be a political force in Bihar. While Kumri-Koeri caste constituencies detest the assertion of Yadavs, the Bihar chief minister is seen to be carrying the support base even when he indulges in contrarian electoral somersault of changing the alliances at his whims and fancies.
The BJP will be hopeful of the fragmentation of the other backward castes (OBCs) vote base to stitch a social chemistry which could counter the mahagathbandhan of the JD(U), RJD, Congress and left parties. Bihar, meanwhile, has a number of smaller parties in several regions of the state.
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