RLSP defers decision on continuing in NDA, gives ultimatum

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha did not reveal his cards on Saturday over the party's continuance in the National Democratic Alliance, serving an ultimatum to the BJP to conclude seat-sharing talks by November 30.

Briefing the media after its much-publicised state executive meeting that was expected to be marked by a major announcement, Kushwaha said the offer made to the RLSP was not respectable and, hence, unanimously rejected at the meeting.

"I have met BJP national general secretary incharge Bhupendra Yadav twice in the recent past and made it clear to him that the offer was not respectable and, hence, not acceptable. I also sought an appointment with BJP president Amit Shah twice, but the same did not materialise. Though, I was told over phone that the talks on seat-sharing were not final," Kushwaha told reporters.

The Union minister, however, declined to divulge the number of seats that were offered to his party, saying it would not be proper to disclose it until a final decision on seat-sharing was taken.

There have been unconfirmed reports that, as per the tentative formula, the RLSP, which has three MPs, would be asked to settle for only two in order to accommodate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), which returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition last year.

The RLSP chief, whose efforts to rope in the BJP president in his tiff with Kumar over the latter's recent remarks against him did not bear any fruit, said, "I am in the NDA as of now."
He alleged that there was a big group within the NDA in Bihar, which is opposed to Modi becoming the prime minister again. "I wish to caution the PM against being misled by this group. I had been favouring his candidature even before he was named the prime ministerial candidate by the BJP."
At a programme held here by a news channel on November 4, in response to a query about seat-sharing among the NDA allies in the state and Kushwaha's reservations about it, Kumar had said: "Do not lower the level of discourse so much."