Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha, smallest NDA partner in Bihar, faces internal tensions

Trouble seems to be brewing in the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, the smallest constituent of the ruling NDA in Bihar, with all but one of its four MLAs appearing estranged from the party's founding president Upendra Kushwaha.

Discontent in the party became evident earlier this week when, barring Snehlata, wife of Kushwaha and sitting MLA from Sasaram, none of the legislators turned up at a ''litti party'' hosted by the RLM chief, a party leader said.

On the same day, MLAs Madhaw Anand, Alok Kumar Singh and Rameshwar Mahto reportedly paid a ''courtesy visit'' to BJP national working president Nitin Nabin during his city tour.

The sequence of events has led to speculations in a section of the media that Kushwaha, whose son Deepak Prakash has earned a ministerial berth despite not being a member of the state legislature, might be facing a rebellion.

When Kushwaha was approached with queries by journalists about the recent incidents, he snapped ''it appears you have no good questions to ask''.

Madhaw Anand, who is leader of the RLM in the assembly and also its principal national general secretary, told PTI, ''As of now, we are very much in the party. There are some issues, but these will be sorted out''.

However, a close aide of Kushwaha said on condition of anonymity, ''Our leader needs to understand the blunder he has committed by pushing his son, who is a novice, for a cabinet berth. This has unsettled party cadres, and has sent a wrong signal among allies like BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U)''.

He said, ''Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, Kushwaha ji has been able to survive despite making one suicidal decision after another. In the process, he has earned the reputation of unreliability. It is regrettable that instead of acknowledging the reality, he is trying to play the victim himself''.

The allusion was to social media posts and statements to the media by the RLM chief, who had defended the decision to back his son saying ''I have, in the past, been ditched by those whom I helped become MPs and MLAs. I must do what is required to strengthen my party organisation''.

However, another aide of the RLM chief who did not wish to be named, said, ''Kushwaha ji seems to think he can take his people for a ride for as long as he pleases. He is making no efforts to prevent a split, and spending his time and energy in ensuring that his son gets elected to the legislative council within six months of his swearing in, else he may have to give up his cabinet berth''.

''The other thing that Kushwaha is obsessed with is another term in Rajya Sabha where his current tenure ends in a few months from now. He cannot get re-elected nor can his son get elected unless he gets the backing of bigger allies. And why would BJP and JD(U) entertain him if it becomes obvious that he does not enjoy the confidence of his MLAs?'', asked the disgruntled RLM leader.

Notably, Kushwaha entered Rajya Sabha last year with the BJP's help shortly after failing to win Karakat assembly seat for the NDA. The saffron party has been backing him to win over the Koeri caste, a sizeable OBC group.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)