To pacify dissidents, Upendra Kushwaha names MLA as RLM Bihar President

Patna: Former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Friday named Alok Kumar Singh, an MLA of his Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), as the president of the Bihar unit, in an apparent bid to soothe ruffled feathers in the party.

Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, whose wife Snehlata is one of the four MLAs of the RLM and son Deepak Prakash is a minister in the state cabinet despite not being a member of the legislature, made the announcement at a press conference here.

"After the recent assembly polls, we had dissolved the party's state unit in order to form it afresh. That process has been completed. I am glad to announce that Alok Kumar Singh, our MLA from Dinara, shall be the new state president," said Kushwaha.

Notably, Singh was among three MLAs, the remaining two being RLM principal national general secretary Madhaw Anand and Rameshwar Mahto, to have skipped a feast hosted by Kushwaha recently, on a day they, however, chose to meet BJP president Nitin Nabin.

RLM sources had confirmed that there was some dissatisfaction in the party over Kushwaha, who had floated the party three years ago after quitting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), "giving so much of weightage to his own family".

At the press conference, however, Kushwaha and other members asserted that there was no dissent in the party and they were all committed to "working together and raising the Rashtriya Lok Morcha to new heights".

Other announcements made on the occasion included the appointment of Madan Chaudhary as national vice president (organisation), Prashant Pankaj and Subhash Chandrabanshi as state working presidents and Himanshu Patel as state general secretary.

The appointments was welcomed by Madhaw Anand, who has been Kushwaha's trusted aide since the latter headed Rashtriya Lok Samata Party which was in 2021 merged with the JD(U). In a post on X, Anand wrote "I am confident that all the newly appointed office bearers shall discharge their duties with dedication and strengthen the organisation".

Singh, who was present at the press conference, said, "I am grateful that the national president has entrusted me with this responsibility. I was also made the parliamentary board chairman in the state earlier. Our party won four of the six seats it contested in the Bihar elections. We will take RLM to new heights."

Responding to queries about alleged discontent among party leaders, Singh said there was no resentment within the organisation.

Kushwaha said the party would soon launch a special membership drive across all levels, from the primary unit to the national unit, in accordance with the party constitution. He added that the "double-engine" government in Bihar would accelerate development and contribute to the vision of a developed India as emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.