PATNA: JD(U) parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday clarified what Nitish Kumar had demanded from then Janata Dal leader and chief minister Lalu Prasad at a rally in Patna in undivided Bihar in 1994.
Referring to a rally organised at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on February 12, 1994, Kushwaha said that Nitish had demanded his share in Janata Dal from Lalu Prasad, which led to defection in the party.
Kushwaha then said that he was also asking for the same. Talking to reporters, Kushwaha said that he will leave JD(U) only after he was given his share in the party.
Kushwaha's reaction came a day after JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha demanded resignation from the former. Umesh, who has been given another term at the behest of national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, said that Upendra Kushwaha should resign if he has an iota of morality in him.
JD(U) parliamentary board chairman said that he has great respect for Nitish but what is a matter of concern is that he is not taking decisions on his own rather he relies more on others. “If you don't interfere in the matter immediately and set things right, there are more chances of a split in the JD(U),” he added.
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He alleged that he was never given any proper place in the organisation and even his suggestions as parliamentary board chairman were ignored by top leadership.
“I have no power to appoint any member in the parliamentary board despite the fact that I happen to be its chairman. I was, in fact, handed over a lollypop and made MLC,” he added.
Alleging that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) were not given due representation in the party, Kushwaha said that people from the category were feeling neglected as there was none to take care of them. “I don't say that people from OBC are not in the party but they as ministers, MLAs, MLCs or MPs were confined to their own constituencies and find little time for others,” he asserted.
Notably, Samata Party was formed in 1994 after the split of the Janata Dal and late George Fernandes made president. Samata Party contested assembly polls in 1995 but failed to perform on expected lines.
Later, more break-way factions emerged in the old Janata Dal. In July 1997 Rashtriya Janata Dal was formed by Lalu Prasad.