Key BJP ally hints at dumping NDA soon

PATNA: Federal minister Upendra Kushwaha appears all set to dump the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to enter into electoral understanding with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) which heads the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar.

Kushwaha, a prominent Backward Classes face who heads the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), dropped ample hints about his possible alliance with the RJD ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls when he said milk from the Yadav community is required to prepare a sweet dish. Yadavs, traditionally cattle-rearers, have been mainstay of RJD.

“A large number of Yadavs have come here for the event. When the milk from Yadavs and rice from Kushwahas are mixed together, it makes a good ‘kheer’ (a sweet dish),” federal minister Kushwaha told a function in Patna on Saturday held to mark the 100th birth anniversary of BP Mandal.

Former Bihar chief Mandal is known as the architect of the politically-significant Mandal Commission which recommended 27 per cent reservation of jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in central government and public sector undertakings which later changed the contours of Indian politics.

The observation by Kushwaha, who holds the Human Resources Development portfolio, assumes significances given his open call for political realignments. While Yadavs, a politically-powerful caste have traditionally been cattle-rearers, Kushwahas, who belong to the Koeri community, have been farmers. Both the caste groups fall under OBC category.

He didn’t stop at that but also strongly advocated for a ‘rainbow’ coalition involving OBCs, extremely backward castes and Dalits to achieve the dream of real social justice.

Kushwaha, of late, has been annoyed with the BJP over various issues. Not only has the BJP refused to give due importance to his party but also strongly defended chief minister Nitish Kumar when Kushwaha sought for his early retirement to make way for others.

“Nitish Kumarji has been serving the state for the past 15 years. I personally feel that he himself should quit the throne to make way for others and devote himself to party politics,” was what Kushwaha had told the media last month. Even before the Janata Dal United could react, the BJP came out in strong support of the former. “The BJP is not in agreement with any personal opinions of some NDA leaders for replacing Nitish Kumar in 2020,” deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP said, reacting to Kushwaha’s comment.

Earlier too, Kushwaha had received severe setbacks when all NDA allies boycotted his human chain programme for reforms in the existing education system. The JD-U too had boycotted Kushwaha’s programme even though his party had lent support to Nitish Kumar’s human chain programme against dowry and child marriages.