Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha resigns; says was feeling ''cheated''

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 10

Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha resigned from the Union Council of Ministers and walked out of the BJP-led NDA on Monday, 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.

Making official his decision at a press conference, Kushwaha said, "Modi has failed to rise to people’s expectations.

“We had high expectations from the Prime Minister. We had hoped that the BJP under Modi would work for the social upliftment. We also hoped that he would announce a special package for Bihar.”

Kushwaha said he was feeling "cheated" on many counts. "Not just did the PM could not meet our expectations on the upliftment of Dalits and backward classes, there was also no effort on getting their correct numbers through Census despite our repeated requests," he said.

The RLSP is the second ally to leave the NDA fold after the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP

Kushwaha also criticised the BJP for liaisoning with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD-U, who had walked out of the alliance after Modi was announced the prime ministerial candidate in 2013. Kushwaha said not just was Bihar rapidly sliding, Kumar was personally against him and his party.

Kushwaha is expected to join the Opposition parties’ meeting today.

Kushwaha has been critical of the BJP since it announced that the saffron party and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) would contest 17 seats each in Bihar.

As per the tentative arrangement, the RLSP was to be given two seats, one less than the number it had contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, leaving the lion’s share for the JD-U. 

Coming ahead of the declaration of Assembly election results of the five states tomorrow, the decision will come as a blow to the NDA unity and also perceptions against the BJP-led alliance.