Won’t Leave Without Share: Upendra Kushwaha After Nitish Kumar Asks Him to Quit JD(U)

Kushwaha returned to the JD(U) in 2021, eight years after quitting, merging his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and besides the respectable party post, was quickly rewarded with a berth in the legislative council.

New Delhi: Amid speculation about Upendra Kushwaha could be hobnobbing with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the JDU leader on Friday asserted that he would not leave the party without his share in the “paternal property”. If reports are to be believed, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked his protege and parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha to quit the JD(U). He had betrayed suspicion that Upendra Kushwaha, a key aide who has of late fallen out of favour with him, could be in touch with the BJP.

“Well said, Bhai Saheb….! If the younger brothers keep leaving the house like this at the advice of the elder brothers, then all elder brothers will grab the entire property of Baap-Dada (ancestors) by throwing away the younger brothers. How can I go out (of the party) while leaving behind my share in entire properties…?” Upendra Kushwaha tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier, while replying to queries of journalists about Kushwaha, the JD(U)’s disgruntled parliamentary board chief, claimed that the party had grown “weak” in recent times and that senior leaders in the party remained in touch with the BJP despite the nasty break up in August last year. “He should name at least one leader who is in touch (with BJP). The one who himself wants to get in touch is making such allegations,” snapped Kumar.

“He may talk nonsense for as long as he pleases and leave the day he wishes to”, added the JD(U) supremo who also rubbished Kushwaha’s claim that the party had grown weak, pointing out “the latest membership drive saw our strength swell from less than 50 lakh to 75 lakh”.

Kushwaha returned to the JD(U) in 2021, eight years after quitting, merging his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and besides the respectable party post, was quickly rewarded with a berth in the legislative council.

Things turned sour between the mentor and protege recently when reports surfaced in a section of the media that Kushwaha could become a Deputy CM, evoking a strong denial from Kumar who made it clear that RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav would remain the sole occupant of the post. Last week, Kushwaha was in Delhi to undergo a medical check up and his pictures with some BJP leaders at AIIMS went viral on social media which is being seen as a “deliberate leak” by those in support of Kushwaha.