Speculations rife on Upendra Kushwaha's 'big announcement' in RLSP's executive meet

Patna: All eyes will be on the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party state executive meeting here on Saturday amid speculations that its founding president and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha could make a "big announcement" with regard to his continuance in the BJP-led NDA.

Mercurial RLSP leader Nagamani echoed the prevailing mood on the eve of the meeting with a cryptic remark, "There will be a big explosion in a day or two".

However, a senior party leader told PTI, "We are not going to pull the plug on NDA. The ball is in the BJP's court. They have to come clean on whether they value the support we had extended when Nitish Kumar left them high and dry ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls". Kushwaha, Union Minister of State for HRD, had left for Delhi Thursday, announcing that he had sought an appointment with BJP chief Amit Shah to gain clarity on the issue of seat-sharing among the NDA constituents in Bihar, and also his alleged humiliation at the hands of CM Nitish Kumar.

The RLSP chief is expected to fly back here Saturday morning to attend the state executive meeting which would also be eagerly watched by the opposition Grand Alliance comprising the RJD, Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha, which has been trying to woo the disgruntled Kushwaha for quite some time.

Kushwaha had interpreted the Bihar chief minister's recent remark at a function that the "level of discourse should not be lowered (itna neeche mat giraiye)", as an affront to him. He had alleged that the chief minister referred to him as "neech" (lowly) - a charge rejected by Kumar-led JD(U).

The RLSP chief's aggressive comments against Kumar in the wake of the controversy and his training guns on Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi for coming in defence of Kumar has signalled Kushwaha's growing isolation in the coalition.