Express News Service
PATNA: The suspense over JDU’s Rajya Sabha candidate finally ended on Sunday when the party nominated Jharkhand unit chief Khiru Mahto even as its ally, BJP also announced the names of its two candidates for the Upper House of the Parliament.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar refused to re-nominate his one-time close aide and Union Minister RCP Singh which is likely to have repercussions for the party.
The party’s decision may cost RCP his ministerial berth unless BJP comes to his rescue and re-nominates him to Rajya Sabha.
Both JD (U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and party parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha remained tight-lipped about the reasons behind the refusal of RCP’s re-nomination.
Lalan Singh said it was wrong to say that factionalism in the party cost RCP his re-nomination for the third term, asserting that there was only one camp in the party and that was Nitish Kumar camp.
The party’s decision to nominate Mahto is seen as Nitish’s ploy to dilute the impact of his refusal to re-nominate to Rajya Sabha. It is still not known whether BJP was taken in the loop before JDU’s top brass decided not to re-nominate RCP.
Nitish was reportedly unhappy with RCP ever since the latter joined the Union Cabinet as the JD(U) wanted two ministerial berths in the Cabinet. Nitish had also not congratulated RCP after his induction into the union cabinet.
Both Lalan Singh and Upendra Kushwaha said that the party decided to nominate Mahto as he has been associated with the party since the formation of the erstwhile Samata Party.
“His nomination to Rajya Sabha will strengthen the support base of the party in Jharkhand,” Lalan said.