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Senior JD(U) leaders skip RCP Singh’s event, Nitish Kumar says all well in party
Despite the denial by all top leaders, including chief minister Nitish Kumar, the chasm between supporters of Lalan Singh and RCP Singh is increasing.
The factionalism within the ruling JD-U in the state has finally come to the fore with senior party leaders including party national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and party parliamentary board president Upendra Kushwaha maintaining distance from the programme organized to felicitate former party president and Union minister RCP Singh.
Despite the denial by all top leaders, including chief minister Nitish Kumar, the chasm between supporters of Lalan Singh and RCP Singh is increasing. One example of this was the posters put up in Patna to welcome the Union minister. The posters initially didn’t have the photographs of Lalan Singh or Kushwaha, which raised a hue and cry in party circles. The pictures were restored after that.
Kushwaha feigned ignorance about any such felicitation programme and said, “I have not been invited.”
“’I have not received information about this nor has any letter come, so how can I join. I have to go to Jehanabad for an event. I came to know about his visit through the media,” Kushwaha said.
Kushwaha, who joined JD(U) in March this year, however, was quick to add that there was no factionalism in the party. “There is no factionalism in the party. Those who are indulging in such things will fall in their places,” he said.
“The disappearance of national president Lalan Singh’s picture from the banner poster made to welcome RCP Singh is intolerable. Lalan Singh is the national president of the party and his role should be understood by everyone,” said Kushwaha.
Nitish Kumar on Monday laughed off the talks of factionalism. “If someone becomes the national president, he is welcomed. If someone becomes a Union minister, he is being welcomed. There is no factionalism, no difference in the party,” said Kumar after his Janata Darbar on Monday.
Kumar went on to say that it was he who made RCP Singh the national president of the party. “When he became a minister at the Centre, he wanted to pass on the baton to Lalan Babu. So don’t be under any kind of confusion,” said Kumar.
With rumours of factionalism in the party surfacing, Union minister RCP Singh said in Patna that he has a very cordial relation with Lalan Singh. “There is only one leader Nitish Kumar in the party while others work under him,” he said.
