by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Lokmat Exclusive report
Kushwaha to join Mahagathbandhan
Contest Lok Sabha polls with Congress-RJD in Bihar alliance sealed
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Dec 18
Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha, who quit the Modi government and snapped his ties with the BJP, is set to join the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan.
Highly placed sources told Lokmat today that Kushwaha has finally made up his mind to join hands with Congress-RJD Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
Though he had said last week that he has "many options" before him. But he decided to go with the Congress and the RJD in Bihar. A formal announcement in this regard is likely to be made in a couple of days.
These sources also say that the RLSP may be given five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar under the alliance out of the 40 seats. He will have to accept the leadership of Tejashwi for the post for the Chief Minister. He had held a prolonged meeting with senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Akhilesh Prasad Singh last week.
He declined to answer queries on all three of RLSP members in Bihar's bicameral legislature raising a banner of revolt, accusing him of pursuing his "personal interests" and declaring that they would remain in the NDA.
The Congress Party is of the view that Upendra Kushwaha is the leader of the party and has following among the 6% of backwards belonging to his community. Though there has been split in the party as both the MLA and MLC joined the Nitish Kumar camp, Kushwaha is the leader of the community.
With the joining of the RLSP the Mahagathbandhan, it now becomes a G-22 (Group of 22 parties).
Ends
