Kushwaha Joins UPA, Credits ‘Wholeheartedness of Rahul Gandhi’

“The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav is one of the reasons I joined (UPA),” Kushwaha said.

RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha raises hands with Congress leader Ahmed Patel and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav after joining the grand alliance. 

(Photo: PTI)

Days after quitting the NDA, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Thursday, 20 December.

The announcement of Kushwaha joining the grand alliance (mahagathbandhan) of opposition parties in Bihar was made at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Delhi in the presence of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, AICC state in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, opposition leader Sharad Yadav and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi.

‘Wholeheartedness Shown by Rahul Gandhi is One of the Reasons I Joined’

Speaking to the media, Kushwaha said:

“We had said that we have many options and UPA was one of them. The wholeheartedness shown by Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav is one of the reasons I joined but the biggest reason I’m here is the people of Bihar.”

Upendra Kushwaha, as quoted by ANI

The RLSP chief further slammed JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar saying they had "vowed to destroy" him and also "insulted" him.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also expressed happiness regarding Kushwaha joining the mahagathbandhan.

Kushwaha joined the UPA after holding talks with the Congress leadership.

Speaking to the media earlier in the day, Tejashwi Yadav had said that Kushwaha had been invited and he will join if he wants “good for the country”.

“Things will be clear by evening, you’ll get to know. Have invited people in the past too. If Upendra Kushwaha wants good for country, he will join. There have been attempts to crush regional parties, even LJP isn’t happy with Modiji’s faction and that proves the fact.”

Tejashwi Yadav to ANI

The UPA believes that Kushwaha's decision to join it will help it in building a momentum against the NDA in Bihar.

The Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM (Secular) are already part of the UPA in Bihar and are seeking to give a fight to the NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls

Besides BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP are other constituents of the NDA.

The saffron alliance had swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, winning 31 of the state's 40 seats.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)