BJP lost trusted friend to forces plotting its downfall: Kushwaha

Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday said that by preferring the Janata Dal (United) at the cost of his party over the seat sharing issue, the BJP has not only lost a trusted friend, but also walked into a ‘trap’ laid by forces, who do not want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retain power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Kushwaha, who reached the state capital after quitting the ministerial berth and parting ways with the BJP, lashed out at the JD (U) and BJP-led governments at the centre and state. He said the people have made up their minds to remove them from power in the LS polls and assembly polls in 2020. “The NDA will fail to open its account in the state in 2019,” he said.

His attack against the BJP-JD(U) combine comes after senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel and Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh met Kushwaha at the latter’s Delhi residence late on Saturday. They called on him with a message from Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to join the proposed meeting of Opposition leaders.

Buoyed by the reception by party workers in Patna, Kushwaha said, “We support the cause of social justice and rightful share of each section of the society. This has instigated people to stop the RLSP’s march. But our workers are sensing that the time for greater participation in decision making is just around the corner.”

The former Union minister said that he could not understand why a ‘trusted ally’ (RLSP), which was the first to demand Narendra Modi’s elevation as the prime ministerial candidate when his own party was indecisive, was dumped.

“Today, a section of state NDA leadership doesn’t want to have him (Modi) re-elected... I wished to share my views with the PM and apprise him what was cooking back home. But, Gods knows why he failed to spare time to meet a member of his cabinet for some sane counsel,” he said.

Speaking at a function to induct former working president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Uday Samrat and other leaders, including Amjad Khan of JD (U), into the party fold, Kushwaha said all development works have come to a standstill and the law and order situation is deteriorating. The meet has created a buzz that he Kushwaha may soon join the Grand Alliance.

Even the BJP-led government, headed by Narendra Modi, has failed to deliver on its poll promise for ensuring access to education, employment and proper medicare for the people of the state. “Now that the elections are round the corner, the issue of Ram Mandir is being raised to deflect public attention from these issues,” he said.

Taking a dig at rivals plotting to engineer a split in the party, Kushwaha said he has been facing such hiccups all through his political career. “Earlier, they demanded an inquiry into my personal wealth. But nothing happened. My wealth is an open book,” said Kushwaha, who has favoured probes into exponential rise in the assets of politicians.

First Published: Dec 17, 2018 09:14 IST