BJP ally RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha resigns from Cabinet, hits out at PM Narendra Modi

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday. He has also resigned from the Union Cabinet. After quitting the alliance, the RLSP chief attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time and said the Prime Minister couldn't meet the expectations of the people of Bihar. He also added that nothing was done for the special status demand and Bihar is still where it was earlier. "I had a bitter experience. I had attempted to put forth my words strongly while in the NDA so that the people of Bihar get justice. But even after all these efforts, the BJP stood with the Bihar CM. Nitishji has done injustice to people on all fronts," he said in his press conference. I stand dejected, betrayed by your leadership, says Kushwaha in his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Kushwaha is likely to attend the 13-party opposition meet on Monday, the sources said. He has been hitting out at the BJP and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the BJP asserted that the RLSP would not be given more than two seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Kushwaha had been 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 JD-U are likely to contest on 17 seats each and the rest six seats may go in the kitty of Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP.

Sources: RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha resigns as Union Minister pic.twitter.com/1wKs7AXI3H

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2018

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With the Winter Session of Parliament set to commence on December 11, Kushwaha’s quitting the alliance will change the political equation of Bihar.  “Kushwaha is likely to announce his parting of ways with the BJP today. He will also quit as a Union minister,” a senior RLSP leader said as quoted by news agency PTI. The RLSP may join hands with the opposition, which includes Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Congress. Bihar sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha.

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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.