Friday, September 19, 2014

Interview: Upendra Kushwaha, Bihari socialist mentored by Nitish Kumar, now joins Modi sarkaar

May 28, 2014

New Delhi: When Upendra Kushwaha (centre) rebelled against his mentor Nitish Kumar in March 2013, forming his own party, many in Janata Dal (United) laughed at him. Little did they know that Mr Kushwaha’s party, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), would end up being bigger in the Lok Sabha than JD(U), and Mr Kushwaha would be a minister in the Narendra Modi government. The RLSP now has three members in the Lok Sabha while the JD(U) has two.

The Kushwahas, a farming community, are the second largest block among Bihar’s Other Backward Castes (OBC’s) with a 7 percent population, and the RLSP’s tie-up with the BJP ensured that gains were maximized. Yesterday at Rashtrapati Bhawan, Mr Kushwaha was inducted as Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Water and Sanitation.


Here are some excerpts from a chat with the 54-year old minster:

On Narendra Modi

“Modiji as a leader is different from others, he stands for development,” Mr. Kushwaha said. “During his election campaigns Modiji made it clear what his agenda was, and what he will do once he gets the reins of the country. He knows how to walk the talk.”

On being a socialist in Modi sarkaar

Mr Kushwaha and his party evoke the name of ailing socialist leader George Fernandes time and again; so how would socialist outfit and its members adjust with the right of centre BJP?

“I don’t know about the previous governments, but this government won’t work on capitalism,” he said. “We will work on a theory where the last man of the society would benefit from the government and people who have been deprived of their share would get it.”

He is sure that Mr Modi would take everyone along and there would be no biases to anyone. “As the prime minister of India, to make the country strong enough, he needs to take people from every section and region along with him.”

On Gujarat model vis-à-vis Bihar  

“The development model of one state cannot always be replicated in another state,” said Mr Kushwaha. “Every state has its own needs and requirements to move ahead and develop; we need to device models based on that. Gujarat model must be a good one but that cannot be replicated in Bihar. More than 80 percent of the population in Bihar relies on agriculture, so without developing infrastructure and other facilities for the farmers, Bihar can’t be developed.”

On Nitish Kumar

“Nothing was done in Bihar in the last two governments of Nitish Kumar, no development has happened,” he roared. “Who is happy in Bihar with the state government? No one. Otherwise Nitish Kumar’s party wouldn’t have got such a drubbing in the elections”

“Bihar needs better infrastructure, law & order, electricity and an industry friendly atmosphere, which Nitish Kumar failed to provide,” he said. “We need agriculture-based industries in the state, such industries will also create jobs which Bihar needs very much.”

On Bihar’s politics and options

While the BJP has been claiming that several JD(U) MLAs are in touch with them and are dropping hints that they may form a government in Bihar, Mr Kushwaha is not in favor of bringing down the Jeeten Lal Majhi-led government. He wants the chief minister to seek a fresh mandate in the state soon.

“We will wait for the elections, and we will win it handsomely,” he said. “Nitish Kumar has made it even easier for us by allying with Lalu Prasad Yadav. We don’t want to cobble together a government at this stage with JD(U) rebels.”

Mr Kushwaha thinks that the Nitish-Lalu alliance in Bihar is doomed to fail.

“Nitish asked for votes exhorting people against Lalu’s jungleraj. Now he has himself allied with Lalu. People will never forgive them,” he said


- This story was first published in www.thepoliticalindian.com on May 28, 2014

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