Upendra Kushwaha sends message to NDA: Won’t settle for less than three seats in Bihar

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The LJP, which has so far been treading cautiously on the issue, also expressed its desire last month on contesting seven seats in Bihar. The LJP had contested seven seats in the 2014 elections and won six.

While BJP is yet to announce the number of seats each party would contest, leading to anxiousness among its smaller allies RLSP and LJP, sources said the saffron party and JD(U) were likely to contest on 17 seats each, while the LJP may get four seats and RLSP two.

Hours after the announcement, Kushwaha created a stir with his “unscheduled meet” with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav at Arwal in Bihar. Earlier too, he had hinted that all was not well within the ruling coalition with his “kheer” remark. “One can prepare kheer with milk from the Yadavs and rice from the Kushwahas,” he had said.

Commenting on the RJD chief, Kushwaha said, “Lalu Prasad Yadav is no longer in active politics.” Regarding Tejashwi Yadav, Kushwaha said, Lalu’s younger son was “under training”.

Kushwaha, whose relation with Kumar can be described as cordial at best, was recently involved in a war of words with the Bihar chief minister. After Kushwaha claimed that Nitish once told him that he would not want to remain CM after three consecutive terms, the JD(U) chief shot back, saying discussions should not be taken to such a “low level”.