Another RLSP leader quits, trains guns at Upendra Kushwaha

In a setback to the RLSP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, one of its founding members quit the outfit Friday accusing its national president Upendra Kushwaha of having "betrayed" the people of Bihar by walking out of the BJP-led NDA and joining the opposition Grand Alliance.

Ram Bihari Singh, who held the designation of "Pradhan Rashtriya Maha Sachiv" (chief national general secretary) in the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, also rued that he was "nowhere now" despite being "the one who wrote the partys constitution and moved the Election Commission for getting the party recognised".

"I was among the few who had supported Kushwaha when he chose to part ways with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U). But today he has become the all in all and pays lip-service to his commitment to inner party democracy. I had also opposed his decision to quit the NDA and join the Mahagathbandhan but he listened to no one and took the decision arbitrarily, in effect betraying the people who had voted for him as an NDA ally," Singh told reporters.

He also alleged that Kushwaha was "playing into the hands of corporates" in distribution of tickets, though he did not elaborate.

The development comes close on the heels of two sacked RLSP leaders Nagmani and Pradeep Mishra charging Kushwaha with "selling" tickets. The RLSP chief has dismissed the allegations as "absurd", pointing out that it was yet to be decided as to which seats his party would be contesting.

Since Kushwahas exit from the NDA and resignation from the Union council of ministers, followed shortly by his joining the Grand Alliance comprising RJD, Congress and others, the party has lost many of its prominent leaders. The RLSP chief has blamed Nitish Kumar for the troubles in his party.