Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Monday claimed that the ruling Janata Dal (United) will merge with its alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and there will be soon an exodus of JD(U) leaders looking to join other parties.
“JD(U) will be merged with RJD soon and thereafter, there will be an exodus of party leaders to join other parties like BJP and RLJD. Several JD(U) leaders are in touch with me and the BJP,” Mr. Kushwaha claimed while addressing media persons in Patna.
Asked when the merger would take place, he said, “In a month or two or before the general election next year. You just wait for the auspicious time to come.”
Mr. Kushwaha, who had been the chairman of JD(U)‘s parliamentary board, quit the party and formed RLJD with his supporters in February 2023. Now, he was said to be in touch with BJP leaders and expected to contest the upcoming general elections in 2024 as part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Commenting on the recent meeting of Opposition leaders in Patna, he said that “nothing came out of the meeting except discussion on growing beards and marriage (a reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi)“.
“I was expecting some alternative would come up against the present regime at the Centre but sadly, nothing came out of it except discussions on growing beard and marriage (oblique reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi). They also discussed the high temperature of Patna on that day and decided to hold the next meeting in Shimla,” he said.
Responding to the claims, JD(U) State president Umesh Kushwaha said, “Upendra Kushwaha is seeing Mungerilal ke haseen sapne and very soon he will see what is the ground reality in Bihar. Earlier, he was talking of socialism and see where he is now. The People of Bihar are watching everything.”
Tension within JD(U)
Meanwhile, Mr. Umesh Kushwaha was accused by fellow party members — MLC Rameshwar Mahto — of promoting factionalism in the party and ignoring party leaders. “Recently, there was a meeting of leaders from Kushwaha caste led by State party chief at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence but I was not informed. I too come from Kushwaha caste. Such acts of the State JD(U) president promote factionalism within the party and weaken the hands of CM Nitish Kumar,” Mr. Mahto charged.
However, Mr. Umesh Kushwaha dismissed the charges as “baseless and frivolous allegations”. “If he has any grudges against me, he should have put it on proper party platform instead of going to media. He should have complained against me to the party’s national president,” he told The Hindu.
