Upendra Kushwaha resigns as Union minister, says 'Modi did nothing for Bihar'

New Delhi, Dec 10: RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha resigned today as Minister of State for Human Resource Development, after a prolonged battle with the BJP and other constituents over seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

According to the reports, he is likely to attend Opposition meet later in the day to discuss an alliance to take on the saffron party in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press conference later, Kushwaha said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had failed to fulfil the promise he had made to the state regarding special package. He said the people of Bihar are feeling cheated as the PM had failed to deliver on his promise. Kushwaha said he had trusted Modi to deliver on his social justice promise but the PM couldn't meet his expectations, he added.

"Narendra Modi ji couldn't meet expectations of the people of Bihar. Nothing was done for special status. Bihar is still where it was earlier. Education and health system are non-existent. Nothing was done for Bihar," he told reporters.

In his resignation letter sent to PM Narendra Modi, Kushwaha wrote, as per PTI: "I stand dejected, betrayed by your leadership. It's unfortunate that the government's priority is not to work for the poor but to fix political opponents."

Earlier it was reported that Kushwaha would not attend the meeting of the NDA allies to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament.

The RLSP chief has been targeting the BJP and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a key ally of the ruling party, for weeks.

He has been upset with the BJP after it asserted that the RLSP would not be given more than two seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, even as it went out of way to accommodate Kumar by agreeing that the saffron party and the JD(U) would fight equal number of seats.

"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.

The RLSP may join hands with the opposition, which includes Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress. Bihar sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha.