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RCP quits JD(U) hours after party’s query on ‘assets’

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Former union minister and senior JD(U) leader RCP Singh, once a confidant of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, quit the party Saturday, hours after he was served a show-cause notice by the party for allegedly amassing huge property between 2013 and 2022 and not declaring in poll affidavits.

“All these allegations have been levelled under a conspiracy by some people who were afraid of my growing popularity,” Singh, a former civil servant who has also worked as Kumar’s principal secretary, told reporters at Nalanda.

“I resign with immediate effect. What is left in JD(U) now? It is a sinking ship” he said.

Earlier in the day, Singh was issued the notice by state JD(U) president Umesh Kushwaha following a complaint by two party workers on July 26, which alleged that Singh had amassed huge properties in the names of his wife and two daughters and not declared the same in his poll affidavits.

“As per available information, you and your family have amassed vast immovable properties from 2013 to 2022. You have served as an officer and party worker with the party’s leader Nitish Kumar for a long time. The honourable leader made you a Rajya Sabha MP twice, party general secretary (organisation), national president and a minister at the Centre with full faith and trust. You are aware of the fact that the leader has zero tolerance for corruption. Despite being in public life for so many years, there is no allegation of corruption against him,” reads the notice issued by Kushwaha, which has been seen by HT.

Singh, who has also served as the JD(U) general secretary and its national president, had to resign from the Union cabinet on July 6 after the party denied him ticket for a third consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha.

Since then, he has taken potshots at his mentor on various occasions, mocking claims by some JD(U) leaders that “Nitish Kumar is PM material”. “How can one dream of becoming a PM with 17 MPs,” he had said.

On another occasion, Singh claimed he had risen in politics due to his own abilities.

In July, there was speculation about him joining the BJP after he was welcomed by party leaders in Hyderabad during their national executive meeting. However, BJP dismissed the claims and contended that Singh must have arrived in Telangana’s capital to take part in a government programme

Singh first drew the party’s wrath after he accepted a berth in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union cabinet in July 2021, when, as the party president, he was authorised to hold talks for more berths, according to JD(U) leaders wishing not to be identified.


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