Patna, Feb 8 (IANS): Rebel leader Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to promote any leader from the JD(U) rather than not Tejashwi Yadav, and also demanded to break the deal with RJD as it is hurting the party.
The statement came soon after JD(U) MLC Maheshwar Mahto met Upendra Kushwaha in the latter's official residence in Patna on Wednesday.
"I want to make JD(U) stronger. It may be possible that the face of Upendra Kushwaha is unacceptable for some persons, but it is a different matter. I want to say that if any deal would happen with the RJD and Nitish Kumar, it would deeply hurt the JD(U). RJD leaders are repeatedly saying that the deal is between their party and Nitish Kumar. If any such deal would take place in Bihar, Nitish Kumar should break it and give the statement in public that no deal had happened between these two parties," Kushwaha said.
"I want to request the chief minister to promote any leaders from our own party rather than promoting Tejashwi Yadav. Promoting Tejashwi Yadav for the 2025 Assembly election is deeply hurting the Lav-Kush equation of JD(U) in Bihar. If Nitish Kumar will promote any leaders of our party, probably from an extremely backward class leader, I will accept it but promoting Tejahswi Yadav is not acceptable," Kushwaha said.
"I am repeatedly saying that whenever the chief minister calls me, I will go to his residence and meet him and put my point before him," Kushwaha said.
Kushwaha is the first leader of JD(U) who publicly took the name of Tejashwi Yadav and raised objections over Nitish Kumar promoting him.
Earlier in the day, JD(U) MLC Rameshwar Mahto went to the residence of Upendra Kushwaha and met him. After the meeting, he said: "The ongoing tussle between CM Nitish Kumar and Upendra Kushwaha is deeply hurting the party. I came there to request him and meet with the chief minister to lessen the problems. The message going in society is not good for the party. Upendra Kushwaha promised me to go to the CM residence when Nitish Kumar would call and talk to him."
When he was asked if the chief minister was being misled by some leaders, Mahto said: "Everyone knows that four to five persons are misleading the chief minister. If you shut the camera, they will give you the names."