"Half The Chief Minister's Age": Nitish Kumar Party Leader Upset With Ally

Upendra Kushwaha sought to remind Nitish Kumar of personal insults by Tejashwi Yadav on the floor of the assembly when Mr Yadav was the Leader of the Opposition.

Janata Dal (United) (JDU)'s rebellious parliamentary board president Upendra Kushwaha on Friday demanded that the truth be known about a "deal" allegedly struck by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with ally RJD and demanded an urgent party meeting to clear the air.

Addressing a press conference at his official residence in Patna, Mr Kushwaha, who is also a member of the legislative council, also made it clear that he will not quit the JD(U) "just because" Mr Kumar, the supreme leader, asks him to do so.

"The Chief Minister has been saying that I have quit the party thrice and come back out of my own wish. I must correct him. I have parted ways and returned only twice. My first comeback was in 2009 when Kumar requested me to return at a public function. My return in 2021, again, followed helpless pleadings of Kumar who had become very vulnerable by the time", said the former Union minister who merged his RLSP with the JD(U) two years ago.

Mr Kushwaha also made little secret of the anguish he felt over the limelight on Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav whom he did not mention by name but referred to as "half the Chief Minister's age, whom Mr Kumar now wants to promote".