Nitish had no option but to join Lalu Prasad: Upendra Kushwaha

Interview with Rashtriya Lok Samta Party president

Upendra Kushwaha, president of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party which is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, admits the Bihar Assembly elections will be a close contest and will be fought along the lines of caste. In an interview with Sahil Makkar, he says the NDA's main target is Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad as his bête noire and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar doesn't have a strong support base in the state. Excerpts:

Do you think it is a neck and neck fight this time?

This was the sense (I got) in the initial days (of polling). But now there is an undercurrent in favour of the NDA.

The Bihar elections seem to be divided along the lines of caste. Is this deliberate?

It is true that people take into account caste and community when they vote. But this time they are also demanding development. They believe the NDA is giving them social representation and is serious about the development of the state. The Janata Parivar alliance is only talking about caste; people are disappointed with them on the issue of development.

If development is indeed the plank on which the NDA is fighting the elections, why has it distributed poll tickets according to caste?

The NDA has ensured poll tickets for all sections of society. It is not only making them sit at the dining table, but it is also providing them food. With Laluji (Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad whose party is a constituent of the Janata Parivar alliance), one gets to only sit at the dining table; there's no food on offer.

Why are you targeting only Lalu Prasad?

Laluji is the real face of the Janata Parivar alliance; without his consent nothing can happen in the alliance. Nitish Kumar [Bihar chief minister, whose party, the Janata Dal (United), is also part of the alliance] is only a façade.

Why do you think Kumar has forged an alliance with once-arch rival Prasad?

Kumar is responsible for his miseries. He severed ties with George Fernandes (former defence minister in the NDA government led by Atal Bihar Vajpayee from 2001-2004) and me. He made Jitan Ram Manjhi the chief minister of Bihar but then removed him unceremoniously. Kumar cannot tolerate if anyone from the Mahadalit community (Manjhi belongs to the community) does development work. When Kumar decided not to tolerate anyone, others decided not to tolerate him. So he had to join hands with Prasad.

But if you combine the votes from their respective communities, they stand a fair chance in the elections.

Kumar doesn't have any support base. If there is some base, it is of Prasad. The Kurmi and Koeri communities (included in Other Backward Classes) which used to vote for Kumar's party, are offended that he joined hands with Prasad. They will not vote for the Janata Parivar alliance.

Is reservation not an issue in the elections?

It has become an unnecessary issue. Reservation is according to norms laid down by the Constitution; no one can change that. Prasad is deliberately bringing it up to misguide and misinform people.

Do you think Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement on reservation will dent the NDA's vote share?

I will not like to comment on his statement. All I can say is reservation is here to stay.

People say this time the Assembly elections have turned into a fight between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Kumar. Should the PM campaign in almost every district of Bihar?

The prime minister's duty is to look after each village in the country. If we fail to develop a state like Bihar, we will not be able to develop the country. Modi's effort is to ensure a good government in Bihar so that the state can be developed along the same lines as other states. His efforts are justified and it is all right that he is campaigning in the state.

If the NDA loses the Assembly elections, there could be talk that a prime minister lost to a chief minister. Are you prepared for this?

We are coming to power in Bihar with two-thirds majority - there is no doubt about it. So this question doesn't arise. We are fully confident.

The State Election Commission took note of the slugfest between the NDA and the Janata Parivar. Were NDA's partners also involved?

Some people have stooped to making derogatory remarks. It is condemnable. We are not doing it first; we respond to their (Janata Parivar) statements. Prasad started this (slugfest).

Who will be the NDA's choice for chief minister if it wins the polls? Are you in the race as well?

There is nothing to worry about who would be the chief minister from the NDA. We will sit and decide. The NDA has not one but many leaders, who can take on this responsibility. Right now we are focusing on the elections.

Do you think the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) can emerge as a decisive factor this time, considering that you represent one of the largest castes among them?

EBCs are definitely an important issue in the state and they will be a decisive factor in the elections this time. EBC voters want development and representation. The prime minister comes from a backward community, so people identify with him. For the first time someone from the OBCs has become the prime minister. People believe it is the NDA, which will bring in development.

Many say Kumar made a smart move by reserving seats for the EBCs in local bodies before the Assembly elections.

It was the right decision, but Kumar's heart was not in it. Those who were elected in the panchayat elections have no say in the system. Bureaucrats and officers don't listen to them. Moreover, these elected representatives are humiliated in public. Kumar reserved seats for them, but didn't take care to guard their self respect.