NEW DELHI: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance or NDA faced a jolt on Monday as Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) Chief Upendra Kushwaha resigned as a Union Minister on Monday, sources said, amid speculations that the RLSP would split from the National Democratic Party.
According to reports, the union minister decided to resign after meeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday morning. He has reportedly sent his resignation to PM Modi
His resignation letter read, “Nearly five years ago I joined the National Democratic Alliance, under your leadership, with tremendous hope and expectations. During the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 you made several commitments to the people of Bihar and to the nation at large. It was in this context that I had extended my unconditional support to the BJP.”
Later, speaking to reporters, Kushwaha said, “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 & health system is non-existent.Nothing was done for Bihar.”
Earlier in the day, Kushwaha said that he would not attend the meeting of the NDA allies, ahead of the winter session of the Parliament which will begin on December 11.
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Upendra Kushwaha, in November, had said that he was upset over seat-sharing with BJP in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
Soon after BJP president Amit Shah announced that his party and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) would fight on an equal number of seats, Kushwaha demanded a larger seat share.
RSLP fought on three seats in 2014 even as Kushwaha demanded more seats for the next year’s general elections citing that his party has grown in strength.
On November 17, he had asked the BJP to reach a consensus over a seat-sharing agreement.
A meeting between Tejashwi Yadav and Kushwaha had set political circles abuzz that RLSP and Yadav’s RJD might side join hands for Lok Sabha elections. However, Kushwaha later clarified that no political meaning should be derived out of it.