Kushwaha slams Nitish over dharna and poll results

Minister of State for Rural Development Upendra Kushwaha today slammed senior JD (U) leader and former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for embarking on a daylong dharna to demand special status for Bihar.
"This is a drama and a political stunt by Nitish Kumar. There is no meaning to this dharna. The central government will make all possible efforts for the development of Bihar. We will never let the state have any shortage of funds," Kushwaha told reporters.
The central minister was in the state capital to attend a ceremony in which JD (U) leader J N Trivedi joined his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP).

Not letting go the opportunity to attack Kumar, Kushwaha said the former Chief Minister has not learnt his lesson from the poll debacles and yesterday's results of Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections.
"Bihar is yearning for change. Just like Maharashtra and Haryana, the people here will also impose their faith in the NDA government. Kumar should realise this as he went to campaign in Haryana despite knowing that he had no role there. His presence there was like 'begani shaadi mein Abdullah deewana'," said the Rural Development Minister.
Kushwaha added that Kumar should understand that his fate is now to just hold dharnas.

"The way he has ruled and lost the trust of the people of Bihar, he will have to stage dharnas for the next several years," he said.

Welcoming Trivedi to his party's fold, the RLSP leader said JD (U) has no place of self-respecting and dignified workers and people who want to work for Bihar cannot stay there.
"In fact Nitish Kumar himself lost his self-respect when he hung to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad feet for political gains. Prasad himself said this publicly. Kumar should understand that a person's honour comes first," he said.
Kushwaha is a Lok Sabha member from Karakat constituency and is a friend-turned-foe of Kumar. He founded RLSP in March 2013 after differences with Kumar, who was the then Chief Minister of Bihar.