RLSP appoints in-charges to support NDA campaign in Bihar by-polls

A day after his meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha today appointed three party leaders as in-charges of as many constituencies in Bihar, where bypolls are scheduled to be held on March 11.
The appointments indicated that Kushwaha's differences with the BJP after the Jehanabad Assembly seat was allocated to the JD(U), instead of his party, were over, at least for now.
Kushwaha appointed Shankar Jha Azad, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha and Jahangir Khan as in-charges for the Araria Lok Sabha seat and Bhabua and Jehanabad Assembly seats respectively, a statement from the RLSP said.

The three leaders would run the campaigns of the BJP-led NDA candidates in the upcoming bypolls, it added.
The Jehanabad seat had fallen in the RLSP's quota in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls, but its candidate had lost to the RJD nominee, whose death has necessitated the by-election.
BJP sources said the party's decision to ask the JD(U) to field its candidate from the seat was caused by a split in the RLSP, after Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar parted ways with Kushwaha.
Kumar, who continues to be a BJP ally, has influence in the region. He was keen that the NDA fielded a nominee of his choice from the seat, prompting the BJP to strike a middle path by persuading Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar to field a candidate of his party, the sources added.

The BJP has fielded its candidates from the other two seats.