Leave NDA or face same arrogance: RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha's warning to BJP allies before 2019 elections

Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha, who recently quit as Union minister and pulled out of the BJP-led alliance, has warned Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and other allies to quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) or face the same arrogance he and his party did. Citing arrogance of the BJP and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar one of the reasons for pulling out of the alliance with the BJP, Kushwaha accused the saffron party of trying to destroy smaller parties. "The arrogance of BJP and Nitish Kumar was one of the reasons why we left NDA, others will also face the same arrogance. Lok Janshakti Party should also leave NDA as soon as possible. Otherwise, they've (BJP) made their mind to destroy the smaller parties," ANI quoted Kushwaha as saying.

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The RLSP chief had recently quit as Union minister in Narendra Modi Cabinet and pulled out of the NDA over seat sharing issues in Bihar for the next year's general elections. After quitting, he had said that his options were open, and he will decide whether his party will go alone in 2019 or join the proposed anti-BJP alliance.

Kushwaha's claims of ill-treatment at the hands of the BJP came a day after Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan advised the saffron party to go for course correction and not let its Hindutva agenda dominate the actual issues of common people.

"After TDP and RLSP's exit from NDA... the alliance is going through a vulnerable phase. At this time the BJP should sort out issues of the remaining alliance partners timely and respectfully," the Paswan junior wrote on Twitter.

Paswan's party has been at the loggerheads with the BJP over the issue of seat sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. The BJP has reportedly offered 17 seats to Nitish Kumar's JD-U and the LJP has got only six seats. Paswan, however, said the alliance was strong and the NDA will win the 2019 polls.

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Last week, Naresh Gujral, a leader of Shiromani Akali Dal, another BJP ally had also warned the saffron party, saying he didn't see any single political party getting over 200 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said that the BJP will have to quickly resolve issues with its allies, including the Shiv Sena, if the party wanted to emerge victorious.