Upendra Kushwaha attacks Nitish Kumar amid reports of RLSP MLA joining JD(U)

Patna, Nov 11: Union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar amid reports that both of RLSP's MLAs in Bihar are set to join the JD(U).

Referring to past incidents of RJD and Congress leaders joining the JD(U). Kushwaha took a jibe at Kumar saying: "You (Kumar) are adept in breaking parties."

Kushwaha also stated that he shall inform BJP president Amit Shah about the "humiliation" he was subjected to by the JD(U) supremo, according to PTI.

The RLSP leader hopes that an intervention from Shah would help in clearing the "confusion" over seat-sharing between the two parties who are the constituent members of the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the centre.

The speculation around RLSP MLA Shekhar future surfaced after he met JD(U) vice-president Prashant Kishor.

Before leaving for New Delhi, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief told reporters at Patna airport that he had sought an appointment with Shah.

"During my meeting with Shah, I intend to raise both the issues -- seat sharing as well as the humiliation by Nitish Kumar," Kushwaha said.

He has been maintaining that his party has a tie-up only with the BJP and not with the JD(U).

Kushwaha is unhappy with Nitish Kumar for his alleged "neech" statement. It was made at a television programme about a week ago when the JD(U) chief had refused to comment on reports that the RLSP might end up getting fewer seats than it had fought and won in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Kushwaha took exception to Mr Kumar's response that commenting on the issue would "lower the standard of the discourse".

RLSP supporters took out a protest march in the city on Saturday, demanding an apology from the chief minister.

Kushwaha met Ram Vilas Paswan, the president of NDA constituent Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), and said that the latter concurred with his view that seat-sharing talks should be held at the earliest, involving all the coalition partners.

He has reportedly been peeved after the BJP and the Janata Dal (United) decided to contest an equal number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Bihar.

The state sends 40 members to Parliament and after the BJP-JD(U) deal, there is speculation that this would mean fewer seats for other allies like the RLSP and the LJP.