Kushwaha Urges JD(U) Leaders To Join Meeting On Party's 'Special Deal' With RJD

Amid his standoff with Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, disgruntled leader Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday issued an open letter to party workers, urging them to join him in a meeting to discuss the truth about a "special deal" struck with the RJD.

The JD(U) parliamentary board chief, who has been sulking ever since Kumar ruled him out as his second deputy, besides RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, invited party leaders to attend the meeting, to be held in Patna on February 19 and 20.

"As you are aware, the party has weakened in the recent times. Immediately, after the recently concluded assembly by-poll results, I apprised the CM about the factors that are harming the party. But the CM never listened to me," said the veteran leader in his letter.

Kushwaha, who had merged his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party with the JD(U) less than two years ago, had earlier accused the RJD of having strayed from the socialist ideal of decentralization of power and "concentrating all authority within a family". 

"Now, time has come to discuss the special deal struck with ally RJD at the time the grand alliance government was formed in August last year," he said. 

"There are serious issues to discuss... The party has become weak. You are invited to discuss and chalk out a strategy to save the party," he maintained in his letter.

Earlier, too, the JD(U) leader had alleged that RJD leaders were openly seeking Kumar's exit as the CM for Tejashwi Yadav to take over, "as per the deal".

Notably, speculations about Kumar having agreed to make way for Yadav have gained ground after the CM himself dropped ample hints that he was ready to pass on the mantle to his deputy, the younger son of Lalu Prasad.

"I request the chief minister, our supreme leader, and national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan to come out with the truth behind these rumours," Kushwaha had said.

-With PTI Input