Miffed BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha quits NDA, to meet Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha meets with expelled JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav in New Delhi, Monday, Nov 12, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI11_12_2018_000055B)

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on December 10 resigned from the Union Cabinet after a long drawn battle with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners over seat-sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Kushwaha, who was the Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD), resigned from his office a day before Parliament's Winter Session begins.

Kushwaha, in his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he was "dejected" and "betrayed" by the PM's leadership, according to party sources.

"It is unfortunate that the government's priority is not to work for the poor and oppressed, but to fix political opponents by hook or crook," Kushwaha said in the letter.

The RSLP chief also held a press conference here in which he announced he has quit the National Democratic Alliance. "I have left NDA, other options are open," he said.

Kushwaha also attacked Nitish Kumar, saying the Bihar chief minister was against him.

The RLSP chief is likely to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi later in the day. The meeting could possibly result in RLSP joining hands with the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar that includes Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress.

On December 6, Kushwaha had declared a "war" on the ruling alliance. However, he had stopped short of announcing a break-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition.

Kushwaha had been sulking ever since the BJP and the Janata Dal (United), reportedly, reached an agreement that the two parties would contest 17 seats each in Bihar, where the total number of parliamentary constituencies are 40.

Under the arrangement, it was reported that RLSP was to be given two seats — one less than the number it had fought and won in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Bihar sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha.