Dissent brews in Upendra Kushwaha's RLM after son Deepak inducted as minister

Barely a month after the NDA's victory in Bihar, ally Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha is facing internal rumblings after inducting his son Deepak Prakash as a minister in the state cabinet. The RLM won four Assembly seats, including one held by Kushwaha's wife Snehlata Kushwaha.

Prakash is not currently a member of either House. Sources say the party's other three MLAs are unhappy with the move. In an earlier post on X, Kushwaha defended his decision, saying he wanted to protect the party's unity - recalling that two of his MPs had quit ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls despite earlier wins.

Tensions escalated after Bajpatti MLA Rameshwar Mahto posted a veiled criticism on social media on December 12. Later, three MLAs - Mahto, Madhaw Anand and Alok Singh - skipped a dinner meeting called by Kushwaha on December 24 and instead met BJP working president Nitin Nabin in Delhi the same day, fuelling speculation of a possible shift to the BJP or JD(U). With cabinet expansion due after January 14, the developments are being viewed as pressure tactics.