Upendra Kushwaha likely to announce break up with BJP, resign as union minister today

Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday may give a jolt to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by pulling out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Upset over the seat sharing formula in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader is likely to resign as minister from the Narendra Modi cabinet, according to reports.

Kushwaha is demanding a respectable share of Lok Sabha seats for his party. However, as per the latest seat sharing formula, the BJP and the Nitish Kumar’s JDU are likely to contest on 17 seats each and the rest six seats may go in the kitty of Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP.

Kushwaha had given the BJP a November 30 deadline to finalise the seat-sharing formula between the NDA partners in Bihar. However, he didn’t receive any response from the ruling party.

Also Read | These 11 parties left PM Narendra Modi since 2014 Lok Sabha elections

Earlier last month, Kushwaha had met expelled Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav at his residence to discuss the political situation in Bihar. Some reports claimed that the two leaders discussed merger of their parties – Kushwaha’s RLSP and Yadav’s Loktantrik Janta Dal (LJD).