Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Friday asserted that the BJP-led NDA stood a good chance in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections provided there were no "self-goals".
Kushwaha was addressing a rally in the state capital on the death anniversary of Jagdev Prasad, a towering OBC leader who was often referred to as the "Lenin of Bihar".
Kushwaha, who belongs to the same 'Koiri' caste as the deceased leader said, "We did well in last year's Lok Sabha polls, but could have performed better had there been no self-goals. We are also tipped for a great performance in the assembly elections, but it must be ensured there are no self-goals this time".
His comments came in the backdrop of his humiliating defeat from Karakat Lok Sabha seat last year.
Kushwaha, who had won the seat in 2014, finished third in 2024.
He has since alleged that some BJP leaders in Bihar may have played a role in Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh contesting from Karakat as an independent, after he was denied a BJP ticket from West Bengal.
The Karakat seat eventually went to CPI(ML) Liberation candidate Raja Ram Kushwaha.
After the election, the RLM chief was nominated to the Rajya Sabha under the BJP’s quota.
The former Union minister, who has been advocating fresh delimitation of parliamentary constituencies said, "This is an important issue which I keep highlighting in Bihar and in other parts of the country. Bihar stands to gain a lot if delimitation is done properly. Going by population, the state should have 60 seats instead of the existing 40".
Kushwaha also took a veiled dig at CM's Nitish Kumar JD (U), which he had quit more than two years ago alleging that a 'deal' had been struck for the party's merger with RJD.
Speaking at the Miller High School ground, adjacent to JD(U) state headquarters, he said, "People sitting inside the party office on the other side of this boundary wall must be listening to me. I want to stress the fact that a party's new leadership should emerge from its political legacy." "When this does not happen, a political outfit withers away just like Jagdev Prasad's Samyukta Socialist Party which finished despite once having been a formidable force", he added.
A critique of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Kushwaha made an indirect remark on the young leader who performed a gig with some close friends and family members recently to celebrate the success of 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', which saw the former deputy CM accompanying leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for a fortnight.
Kushwaha said, "Those in public life should be careful about their reputation. Dancing on the banks of river Ganges does not guarantee success. Had it been so, the greatest dancer in the country would have become the PM".
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