Bihar: Upendra Kushwaha 'not interested' in Tejashwi's offer of joining grand alliance

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday invited Union Minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha join the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar.

Tejashwi Yadav (L) and Upendra Kushwaha.

NEW DELHI: Union Minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha has rejected RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's offer of joining the RJD-led grand alliance in Bihar, saying he has no such plans and would like to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi in power for another term. "RJD's existence is under threat. Therefore, Tejashwi's statements have no meanings for me," Kushwaha said, adding that it's in the national interest that Narendra Modi should become the prime minister again in 2019. Taking to Twitter, Tejashwi, who is also the leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly, said the BJP-led NDA has ignored Kushwaha since the alliance came to power in 2014. "We invite Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha to be a part of the Mahagathbandhan. He is being ignored by the NDA for the last four years. He is being subjected to step-brotherly treatment by the BJP. Also, BJP colluded with Nitish Kumar and conspired to break his party," Tejashwi said in a series of tweets.

केंद्रीय राज्यमंत्री श्री उपेन्द्र कुशवाहा को हम महागठबंधन में शामिल होने का न्यौता देते है। उन्हें विगत 4 साल से NDA में उपेक्षित किया जा रहा है। बीजेपी उनके साथ सौतेला और पराया व्यवहार कर रही है। इसी दौरान बीजेपी ने नीतीश जी के साथ मिलकर उनकी पार्टी को तोड़ने की साज़िश भी रची।

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 10, 2018

Tejashwi said Kushwaha represents a large social group but none from that group was made cabinet minister (in the NDA regime). "Capabilities of Kushwana, who comes from backward class, were not recognised by the BJP," he said.

उपेन्द्र कुशवाहा जी एक बड़े सामाजिक समूह का प्रतिनिधित्व करते है लेकिन उस वर्ग से किसी को भी कैबिनेट मंत्री नहीं बनाया गया वहीं दूसरी तरफ़ केंद्र सरकार मे एक जाति के एक दर्जन से ज़्यादा कैबिनेट मंत्री है।

पिछड़े वर्ग से आने वाले कुशवाहा जी की क़ाबिलियत को BJP ने तवज्जों नहीं दी। — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 10, 2018

Tejashwi urged the RLSP chief to take the "appropriate decision" soon to join the "fight to save the Constitution." "Upendra Kushwahaji come from the stream of social justice so he will have to choose either the stream of Godse and Golwalkar or of Gandhi and Ambedkar," he said.

उपेन्द्र कुशवाहा जी सामाजिक न्याय की धारा से आते है इसलिए उन्हें गोडसे-गोलवलकर और गांधी-अंबेडकर की दो धाराओं में से एक को चुनना होगा। BJP संविधान को ख़त्म कर रही जिससे आरक्षण स्वतः ही समाप्त हो जाएगा।

कुशवाहा जी को संविधान बचाने की लड़ाई में ससमय उचित निर्णय लेना चाहिए। — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 10, 2018

"The BJP is abolishing the constitution, hence the reservation will automatically get abolished," he alleged. According to sources, Kushwaha was not happy with the NDA over the seat-sharing formula in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He was also was absent at a get-together of the NDA last week and his party demanded that the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls be fought under his leadership. The RLSP has been viewing with consternation the assertion by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU that it was the main party in the NDA in Bihar, a clear hint that it wanted the largest number of seats among the constituents of the BJP-led coalition in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.