Bihar: Upendra Kushwaha Launches Scathing Attack On Nitish Kumar, Says Party Leadership Sidelining Him

Disgruntled Janata Dal (United) - JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha lashed out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a press conference held on Tuesday (31 January), a day after his entourage was attacked in the Bhojpur district of Bihar.

Denying any possibility of leaving the JD(U), Kushwaha went on to criticise Nitish Kumar and the party leadership for sidelining him and ignoring his advice.

Upendra Kushwaha is a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) and the National Parliamentary Board Chairman of the JD(U).

He has been sulking ever since Nitish Kumar broke off with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to form an alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and wasn’t awarded a co-deputy chief minister post, as he hoped.

Speculations of him leaving the party to either join the BJP or revive his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party have been doing the rounds for the last two months.

At the press meet he said, “Making me an MLC and the National Parliamentary Board Chairman was like handing me a jhunjhuna (toy) and a lollipop. I am never consulted with, I wasn’t even allowed to pick members of the parliamentary board.”

While explaining what he meant by his earlier comment on “not leaving without paternal property”, Kushwaha said, "I want the same thing from Nitish that he asked for from Lalu Yadav at a rally in 1994, but did not receive. I am not leaving empty-handed.”

He also talked about the declining attraction of the Extremely Backward Classes toward the party. “I tried to bring in more people from this community in the decision-making committee, but I was ignored,” he said.

Nitish and Kushwaha have been exchanging remarks for the last few weeks, with Nitish asking Kushwaha to quit the JD(U).

Kushwaha also shared the video of stone pelting on his cavalcade and alleged that the police prepared the First Investigation Report in a hurry.