Kushwaha snaps at media amid rumours of rift within RLM

Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha appeared visibly upset on Friday as discussions intensified in Bihar’s political circles over the future of the RLM in recent days.

The speculation gained further momentum when three of the four Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) MLAs, Madhav Anand, Rameshwar Mahato, and Alok Singh, skipped a ‘Litti Chokha’ party hosted at Kushwaha’s Patna residence. Instead, the three legislators travelled to New Delhi, where they met BJP National Working President Nitin Nabin on Wednesday.

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During a media interaction on Friday, Kushwaha dismissed the issue and avoided entertaining questions related to it. However, when the matter was repeatedly raised, he countered with a question, saying, “Who told you that they didn’t come to the Litti Party?”

Soon after, Kushwaha lost his temper and lashed out at the media, alleging that journalists have no real questions and therefore raise unnecessary issues.

Earlier this month, Bihar’s political corridors were abuzz following a fiery social media post by RLM MLA Rameshwar Mahto. His Facebook post was widely perceived as a direct attack on Kushwaha for overlooking his party’s MLAs while elevating his son, Deepak Prakash, despite him not being a member of either House, to a ministerial berth under the RLM quota.

Although Mahto did not name Kushwaha in his post, it was widely seen as a response to the RLM chief’s remarks defending his family-centric decision. Soon after the formation of the Bihar government, Kushwaha had said that “the decision was essential and unavoidable for preserving the party’s existence and future.”

The speculation intensified further after photographs of the three RLM MLAs meeting BJP National Executive President Nitin Nabin were shared on social media. Leaders from both the opposition and ruling parties seized upon the issue, suggesting that Kushwaha’s own MLAs were dissatisfied with his leadership and exploring alternatives.

Political analysts noted that the smiling appearance of the MLAs in the photographs with Nitin Nabin gave the impression that a significant political development might be brewing behind the scenes, potentially leading to a split in the party.

Analysts also believe that by appointing his son as minister, Upendra Kushwaha may have repeated the mistake he made earlier in the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), when veteran leader Nagmani was sidelined. Nagmani had accused Kushwaha of selling an election ticket for a large sum of money, and the differences eventually led to the RLSP’s merger with the Janata Dal (United) in March 2021.