RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha joins Congress-led 'Mahagathbandhan'

New Delhi, Dec 20: Former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP, which had recently broken ties with the BJP, joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Thursday.

On joining Bihar Mahagathbandhan, Upendra Kushwaha, said, "We had said that we have many options and UPA was one of them. The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav is one of the reasons I joined but the biggest reason I'm here is the people of Bihar."

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and a Congress representative were present during the announcement. Opposition leader Sharad Yadav also attended the event.

Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, said, "We are united because of same ideology. Upendra Kushwaha wrote a tell-all letter and left NDA. Today, he has joined us in UPA."

RJD leader Tekashwi Yadav said, "This is a fight to save the democracy and the Constitution. This is a fight against those who have misled the people of the nation. The govt has fooled the people of Bihar."

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel had met Kushwaha after the latter quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The UPA believes that Kushwaha's decision to join it will help it build momentum against the NDA in Bihar.

Besides BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP are other constituents of the NDA.