After ditching NDA, Upendra Kushwaha says willing to join grand alliance

Nearly 10 days after quitting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance following the rift over a seat-sharing deal for the 2019 General Elections, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday said that he was more than willing to join a “grand alliance” of opposition parties.

In an interview to ANI, Kushwaha said, “People of the NDA have become arrogant, particularly Nitish Kumar in the context of Bihar. It was this conceit that made us split from them.”

“Others will not be safe from this arrogance either. The LJP must also come out of the alliance as soon as possible. These people have decided to destroy small parties, and if the LJP also gets the same feeling, they must exit the alliance at the earliest too,” he added.

Upendra Kushwaha also praised Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying that he has evolved into a mature leader and a likely option for replacing Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister next year.

Kushwaha also attacked the Modi government on its performance over the last four-and-a-half years. “The countdown for the central government has begun. People had great expectations from it, but it ended up disappointing the people of the country. Farmers are in distress, and the youth did not get employment. So naturally, the country will be in for a change soon,” he noted.

In the end, Kushwaha criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Ram temple campaign, saying it as an issue created solely to “mislead” people for votes.

On December 10, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha resigned as Minister of State for Human Resource Development and quit BJP-led NDA.

Incidentally, the LJP is also pressing for finalisation of the ruling coalition’s seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar, making it clear that it will not settle for anything less than six seats in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha.

Also Read: Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha resigns; breaks ties with NDA