Ruling Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has given him “a position without power” and ignored his suggestions.
He said he also respects Kumar and therefore wanted the chief minister to be alert and handle things well or else the party will be damaged. “I want him to take his own decisions. As long as he does so as per the wish of others, things will go wrong.”
Kushwaha said he still hopes Kumar will act and save the party. “He is not able to act as he wants. It was proved in the Kurhani by-poll when the chief minister said he gave the ticket as per the party’s wishes. Even when JD-U changed its alliance [last year], he said from a public platform that it was not his decision.”
Kushwaha said only Kumar can say whose wishes is he acting on. “What kind of affection is this that he wants me to out? If one has respect or affection for anyone, it develops bonding and proximity. But affection is lip service, but the desire is to drive me away.”
He said Kumar made him the JD(U) Parliamentary Board chairman after amending the party constitution. He added that the post was made meaningless.
“The amendment says the national president of the party will nominate the chairman and also the members. Even that would have been fine had the members been nominated in the last two years.”
He said he cannot even nominate members. “So, how can the board function without the committee?” He said the need to take advice from the board was never felt despite several elections. “I gave the suggestion several times that there should be a leader from the extremely backward classes to champion their cause…Ministers…have been mostly relegated to a position where they have to follow their officers,” he said. He accused “some vested interests” of trying to damage the party, which he will not allow.
Kushwaha referred to the alleged attack on his vehicle even as authorities have denied this. “The sub-divisional officer has in a preliminary report said there was no such incident. Therefore, I wanted to show you the video clip. I urge the chief secretary and the police chief to get the incident of stone pelting on my vehicle probed.”
