PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday brushed aside Janata Dal (United) leader Upendra Kushwaha’s demand for discussions on the party’s ‘special deal’ with alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), saying that the daily statements issued by the 63-year-old leader indicated that he was working on an agenda.
“He (Upendra Kushwaha) is free to stay or go wherever he wants. Speaking like this on a daily basis means he is part of some agenda. Efforts have been made to damage the JD-U many times in the past, as during the 2020 Assembly elections, but the party remains fundamentally strong,” Kumar, 71, added.
The chief minister was responding to Kushwaha’s open letter that called party leaders to meetings on February 19 and 20 to discuss what he has called a special deal between the JD-U and RJD, and what he describes as the possibility of a merger between the two parties.
JD-U president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh has already described it all as “a figment of Kushwaha’s imagination”.
Kumar said Kushwaha was clearly speaking on behalf of someone else, a remark that is seen as an oblique reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The chief minister recalled that Kushwaha, who returned to the JD(U) in March 2021 after merging his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, exited the party more than once but eventually returned.
Kumar noted that Upendra Kushwaha’s discordant statements in recent times started about two months back. “He is speaking on someone else’s behalf and therefore getting so much publicity. I have told everyone not to respond. The party president has said what he had to. That he is getting publicity means he has the backing from somewhere else,” the chief minister added, without elaborating.
Kumar said that Kushwaha was free to continue speaking whatever he wanted, but it would mean nothing to him or the JD-U. “The party is getting stronger, with bigger membership than last time.
Kushwaha, who has been targeting Nitish Kumar in recent weeks, claimed last week that his JD(U) parliamentary board chairman post and membership to the legislative council was a “lollipop” that the party could take back if it thinks these are big privileges. Kushwaha also alleged that Nitish Kumar has been working as per the wishes of others and likened his rebellion to the challenge Nitish Kumar threw thrown RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1994.
“I have been asked to clarify what I meant by claiming my own share (hissa) in the party,” the former Union minister said. “I am speaking of the same share that Nitish Kumar had demanded at the famous rally of 1994 when Lalu Prasad was reluctant to give our leader his due.” He had, however, stopped short of elaborating on what demand Kumar had put before Prasad.
Social analyst NK Choudhary said Kushwaha was trying to create his own space within the party by indicating that he might have other options if he continued to be ignored. “It is basically a fight for the No. 2 position in the party, which practically does not exist. It is a party with Nitish Kumar as the key man and everyone tries to have proximity with him,” he added.
