Kushwaha merges RLSP with JD(U)

PATNA: Former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday finally merged his eight-year-old Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) with JD(U). The merger event was held at the Karpoori Sabhagar in JD(U) office here where CM Nitish Kumar welcomed Kushwaha by presenting him a bouquet.
It was a homecoming for Kushwaha who had quit the JD(U) in January 2013 after political differences with senior party leaders and formed the RLSP on March 3 the same year.
Soon after the merger, Kushwaha was appointed chairman of JD(U)’s national parliamentary board with immediate effect. The parliamentary board of JD(U) finalises the names of the party’s candidates for Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and assembly polls. As Kushwaha has been made its chairman, he would have his clout in the selection of the JD(U) candidates in future elections.
The post of the parliamentary board’s chairman was earlier held by Sharad Yadav when George Fernandes was the JD(U) national president. “After Sharad was made JD(U) president, the post of parliamentary board chairman fell vacant and no one was appointed on the post since then,” JD(U) national secretary general K C Tyagi told TOI on Sunday.
At the merger event, Kushwaha vowed to make JD(U) the “number one” party in Bihar. He called upon his supporters to take all necessary steps in this regard under the leadership of Nitish. Kushwaha said after witnessing several ups and downs as the RLSP chief, he is now in a position to make use of his experience under the guidance of Nitish.
JD(U)’s former state president and Rajya Sabha member Bashishtha Narain Singh played a crucial role in bringing back Kushwaha to the JD(U) fold. Kushwaha, in his speech, thanked Singh for his efforts to ensure merger of the RLSP with the JD(U).
Almost all senior leaders of JD(U), including the party’s former state presidents Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, state working president and building construction minister Ashok Choudhary, WRD minister Sanjay Jha, Munger MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and state president Umesh Kushwaha were present at event. However, JD(U) national president R C P Singh was conspicuous by his absence.
Reacting to Kushwaha’s return to the JD(U), state building construction minister Ashok Choudhary said it should be clear to all that the future belongs to the brand of politics being popularised by Nitish.