Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Saturday re-inducted former MLA Ramesh Singh Kushwaha, who had quit the party a few years ago and joined fellow NDA partner Rashtriya Lok Morcha headed by ex-Union minister Upendra Kushwaha.
The induction of the former MLA, who had represented the Ziradei seat in Siwan district, along with his wife Vijay Laxmi, was announced before the press at the JD(U) office.
Welcoming the couple into the party, its national general secretary Sanjay Kumar Jha said the couple had met the chief minister, who is also the JD(U)'s national president, a day ago.
Speaking at the same press conference, senior minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, a former state president of the JD(U), dismissed suggestions that by re-inducting Kushwaha the party was "weakening" the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, saying "the NDA is a single unit but sometimes workers may be accommodated in new places for bringing maximum benefit to the alliance".
Notably, Kushwaha was holding the post of state president in Rashtriya Lok Morcha which, as per the seat-sharing formula of NDA, will contest only Karakat seat, formerly held by the party founder.
Speculations are rife that the former MLA, or his wife, maybe fielded in Lok Sabha polls from Siwan, one of the 16 seats the JD(U) is contesting.
Party sources said that the sitting MP from Siwan, Kavita Singh may be dropped from the seat.
However, to a pointed query, Jha replied, "No name has been finalised by the party president for any of the seats."
He also said that although the seat-sharing formula had been announced jointly by all NDA partners in Delhi earlier this week, parties concerned were likely to announce respective candidates separately.
Chaudhary added, "I can say that it is a matter of less than 24 hours before a formal announcement is made after which there will be no need for any questions on candidates for Lok Sabha".
Published 23 March 2024, 12:11 IST