Kushwaha meets PM over Bihar polls

In wake of the upcoming Bihar polls, the meeting of MoS for HRD Upendra Kushwaha with PM Narendra Modi on Friday may be seen as crucial over issues relating to seat-sharing, declaration of NDA's Chief Ministerial candidate, etc. 

According to sources in the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar, Kushwaha apprised Modi about the political developments in the state, after their arch rivals – JD (U) and RJD –joined hands and announced Nitish Kumar as their Chief Ministerial candidate.

“Both the leaders discussed the strategy to counter their rivals. Kushwaha also discussed seat-sharing and NDA's face with the PM as delay in the announcement is giving an agenda to their rivals,” said sources in RLSP, adding that the Kushwaha community constitute 12% voters in the state.

“Kushwaha's timing of meeting PM is important. They met a few days after senior BJP leader Sushil Modi – a frontrunner in the race for the CM's post – had rebutted the statement of the party's Bihar poll in-charge Ananth Kumar, saying that the NDA was still discussing the Chief Ministerial candidate,” a senior RLSP leader said.

RLSP state president Arun Kumar had demanded that Kushwaha should be projected as NDA's CM face. “The people of Bihar want to see Kushwaha as the next CM. Taking this view, the BJP-led NDA should project him as the Chief Ministerial candidate,” Kumar, an MP from Jehanabad constituency, had said.

Other allies of NDA such as Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani <g data-gr-id="26">Awam</g> Morcha are also eyeing bigger seat-share.