Photo Credit: The Suncity News
Patna, March 27, 2024: Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) national president Upendra Kushwaha met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the latter’s residence in Patna on Wednesday, marking their first meeting since Kushwaha’s resignation from JD(U) in February 2023.
Sharing a photograph of the meeting on social media platform X, Kushwaha wrote:
“Today, I met with my elder brother, CM Nitish Kumar, in his residence and took his blessings.”
Meeting of Upendra Kushwaha with the CM has significance importance:
RLM, led by Upendra Kushwaha, is part of the NDA alliance in Bihar and has been allotted the Karakat Lok Sabha seat under the seat-sharing formula for the 2024 elections. By reaching out to Nitish Kumar, Kushwaha sought to send a strong message of unity within NDA, especially to the opposition INDIA bloc, that both leaders stand together to challenge rivals on Karakat.
In 2019, JD(U)’s Mahabali Singh had defeated Kushwaha, who contested on his then-party Rastriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) ticket. After merging RLSP with JD(U) in 2020, Kushwaha later quit again on February 20, 2023, floating the Rastriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD). Following objections from JD(U) over the party’s name, the Election Commission approved a new name—Rastriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
Recent tensions:
The meeting comes amid recent friction between Kushwaha and JD(U). Kushwaha had accused JD(U) of breaking his party by inducting his former state president, Ramesh Kushwaha. JD(U) has also fielded Ramesh Kushwaha’s wife Vijaylaxmi Kushwaha as its candidate from Siwan in the upcoming polls.
The road ahead:
With Karakat set to witness a high-profile contest, Kushwaha’s outreach to Nitish Kumar is being seen as an attempt to consolidate the NDA’s position and counter the INDIA bloc’s narrative in the region.
Also Read: Tejashwi Yadav accused central government of treating Bihar as step-motherly.
EOM.