JD(U) Political Upheaval Gains Momentum After Nitish Kumar Asks Close Aide Kushwaha to 'Go to BJP'

The ongoing crisis in the Janata Dal (United) gained momentum this week after chief minister Nitish Kumar asked senior party leader Upendra Kushwaha to leave the party and join BJP.

Speaking on the sidelines of a function in Patna, Nitish Kumar said, “Only those who keep speaking… go to the BJP. The sooner someone wants to go, the more he keeps saying.”

This comes after the CM on Wednesday raised suspicion that Upendra Kushwaha, a key aide who has of late fallen out of favor with him, could be hobnobbing with the BJP.

Kumar was speaking to the media when he claimed that the party had grown “weak” in recent times and that senior leaders in the party remained in touch with the BJP despite the nasty breakup in August last year.

“He should name at least one leader who is in touch (with BJP). The one who himself wants to get in touch is making such allegations. He may talk nonsense for as long as he pleases and leave the day he wishes to”, added the JD(U) supremo who also rubbished Kushwaha’s claim that the party had grown weak, pointing out “the latest membership drive saw our strength swell from less than 50 lakh to 75 lakh”. Nitish Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI.

Kushwaha who returned to the JD(U) in 2021, eight years after quitting was rewarded with a position in the legislative council. However, things turned sour between the two when

reports surfaced in the media that Kushwaha could become a Deputy CM.

This claim evoked a strong denial from Kumar who made it clear that RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav would remain the sole occupant.

The party believed that the reports might have appeared at the instance of Kushwaha himself which further fuelled the ongoing feud.

On Thursday, Kumar commented about a tweet of Kushwaha on the previous day wherein the latter had said he will “not give up my own share”. “He should understand that he returned to the party, after having parted ways, for the third time, but was treated with respect. If he has a grouse he should express the same inside the party. You do not go about airing your views in public through the media or social media” Kumar was quoted telling PTI.

Earlier, chief minister Kumar had pointed out that Kushwaha had a history of “coming and going” from the party, and he was free to take his own call.

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