Union minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha on Monday resigned as union minister of state for HRD, mid speculations that the RLSP would split from the National Democratic Party. The decision comes a day ahead of the Winter Session, capping months of sparring over seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls.
RLSP is a key NDA ally from Bihar. The RLSP chief told ANI that he would not be attending a meeting of NDA allies to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday, ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament.
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Last month Kushwaha had set a deadline of November 30 for the BJP to make its stand on seat sharing in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 clear.
The RLSP, as an ally of the BJP in the NDA, had won three seats in the 2014 general election, the BJP had bagged 22 seats and the LJP six.
Soon after BJP president Amit Shah announced that his party and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) would fight on an equal number of seats, Kushwaha demanded a larger seat share.
Though RSLP fought on three seats in 2014 even as Kushwaha demanded more seats for the next year’s general elections citing that his party has grown in strength.
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A meeting between Tejashwi Yadav and Kushwaha had set political circles abuzz that RLSP and Yadav’s RJD might side join hands for Lok Sabha elections. However, Kushwaha later clarified that no political meaning should be derived out of it.
Bihar sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha.
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