BJP wants to destroy smaller parties, says Upendra Kushwaha

Lucknow, Dec 19: Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader Upendra Kushwaha said arrogance of BJP and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar are the reason for snapping ties with the NDA.

Upendra Kushwaha, who last week snapped his ties with the BJP-led NDA and resigned from the Union council of ministers, said, "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."

Kushwaha contemplating joining the Congress-led mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) as it is "one of the many options" before him. Final decision is yet to be taken.

A day before, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)'s Parliamentary Board chairman Chirag Paswan also suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must address the concerns of the remaining constituents "before it is too late". In a series of tweets, Chirag Paswan expressed disappointment over "no headway" despite "a number of meetings with the BJP leadership" over the issue of seat-sharing in Bihar.

Besides Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), the LJP is the only constituent of the BJP-led NDA left in Bihar after the exit of the Upendra Kushwaha.