RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha ties up with BSP for Bihar assembly election

Over the past few days, Upendra Kushwaha is learnt to have initiated talks with the BJP to re-enter the NDA, with no success.

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday announced the formation of a separate front — comprising RLSP, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and Janatantrik Party (Socialist) — to contest the upcoming Bihar elections.

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) president Upendra Kushwaha (R) with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Bihar incharge Ramjee Singh Gautam during a joint press conference ahead of Bihar Assembly elections.(Santosh Kumar/Ht Photo)

Addressing a press conference in Patna, the former Union minister said that the front will contest all 243 assembly segments in the state, with the promise of “abki baar shiksha waali sarkaar (this time a government for education),” which would usher in an era of growth and employment generation in the state.

Kushwaha, who had earlier dropped ample hints on the imminent exit from the Grand Alliance (GA), said, “I am neither clinging on to the GA nor re-entering NDA {National Democratic Alliance}. RLSP will try to provide a credible alternative to Nitish-led alliance by contesting all the 243 assembly seats in the state.”

Over the past few days, Kushwaha is learnt to have initiated talks with the BJP to re-enter the NDA, with no success.

The RLSP chief denied having any talk with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan, who has also been attacking chief minister Nitish Kumar