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RLM MLAs dare Kushwaha not to ignore party sentiments; JD-U crisis far from over
The Bihar Legislative Council election reveals internal strife within NDA, notably between JD(U) members and RLM MLAs, affecting party dynamics.
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The Bihar Legislative Council election for eight seats — four each for teacher and graduate constituencies — has brought to the fore the fissures within political parties and alliances, especially within the NDA.
While the Janata Dal (United) wants to contain the feud between Mokama MLA Anant Singh and three-term MLC Neeraj Kumar following the intervention of Union minister Lalan Singh, another NDA partner, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) is witnessing an internal revolt.
Three of its four MLAs — Madhav Anand, Rameswar Mahto and Alok Singh — backed the nomination of party leader Rampukar Sinha from the Saran Teacher seat, against JD(U)’s Anand Pushkar who is the NDA nominee.
RLM MLA Anand Madhav dared party chief Upendra Kushwaha not to ignore the sentiments of party leaders. “If three of the four MLAs are taking any decision, it is the party decision. If Deepak Prakash is today a minister, it is also because RLM has four MLAs. We are working for the strength and respect of the party and more people can join us, as ours is the party line,” said Madhav.
He said that three of the four MLAs not only took a decision, but also participated in the nomination filing, which witnessed a lot of enthusiasm among party workers. “The party runs with the support of workers and we don’t want them to feel ignored. When it was the question of a minister, we backed the decision, but right now it is not a question of minister,” he added, pointing to the differences within the party when Deepak Prakash was made the minister.
This open defiance has drawn a clear line within the RLM: the three MLAs on one side and the fourth, Kushwaha’s wife Snehlata Kushwaha, on the other. Kushwaha dismissed talks of any differences within the party, saying “council polls have led to a kind of intoxication in the political atmosphere and both NDA and the opposition seem affected”.
This is not the first time the three MLAs have dissented. In January they gave the party leadership a scare over the appointment of Panchayati Raj minister Deepak Prakash, who was then not a member of either House.
JD-U infighting
The feud between Mokama MLA Anant Singh and three-term MLC Neeraj Kumar became a central talking point in the run up to the council poll nominations. The JD-U leadership is keen to defuse the controversy after a statement from Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, who was tasked with resolving the issue.
JD-U working president Sanjay Jha said that Lalan Singh had worked in the best interest of the party. “We have updated party chief Nitish Kumar about all the developments and nominations during a meeting with him,” he added.
The same was reiterated by deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary during a media interaction at the party office. “Lalan Singh has acted to resolve the matter and he has brought certain things to the knowledge of the party. Things have moved towards resolution,” he added.
However, senior party leaders admitted that the Anant Singh-Neeraj Kumar fight was far from over and the JD-U would bide its time to see the impact during the elections before taking any action. “There has been a dent on party discipline, but this is not the time to take any action. There may be more to it than meets the eye and it will gradually unravel,” said a senior leader.
The situation for the JD-U has, however, turned peculiar, with party MLA Anant Singh openly campaigning against the party nominee, and in favour of Jan Suraj Party candidate Anuj Singh.
Jan Suraj founder Prashant Kishor also took a dig at the NDA over the ongoing tussle. “An NDA leader campaigning for Anuj Singh candidate is in itself a victory of Jan Suraj. Bihar has embarked on change with the Bankipore verdict and it will continue. The fight is between the NDA and Jan Suraj only,” he added.
