RLSP declares Upendra Kushwaha as Bihar CM face

PATNA: Rumblings within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of assembly elections in Bihar are out in the open with Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, or RLSP, on Sunday declaring party leader and Union minister of state Upendra Kushwaha as chief minister nominee, clearly embarrassing big partner BJP.

In what seems to be a more intriguing development, another NDA constituent, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan has warned the BJP not to give tickets to five rebel Janata Dal (United) MLAs now with former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi but who were once part of LJP.

"Manjhiji is welcome in NDA along with his supporters…. but we will never accept those MLAs wh o backstabbed us in 2005 by splitting LJP for joining JD(U)," state LJP chief Pasupati Kumar Paras said here on Sunday. Manjhi, in response, urged Paswan to "bury old issues for the cause of forging unity in the NDA".

Sources said LJP’s threat had the backing of BJP. "The BJP will not be able to accommodate all the rebel JD(U) MLAs who are now with the former chief minister," one source said. BJP is keen to field its own nominee at Kanti assembly constituency from where JD(U) rebel MLA Ajit Kumar was elected. "BJP is using LJP to stonewall the claims of the five JD(U) rebel MLAs whose political loyalty was aligned with Paswan," the person said.

Meanwhile, the BJP has expressed its disappointment with RLSP for declaring its own CM face after a state executive committee meeting.