Upendra Kushwaha to skip meeting of NDA allies

 Union Minister of State and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha has decided to not attend the meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday.

This decision comes amid speculations that Kushwaha may withdraw from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance.

"I will not participate in the meeting of NDA allies today," the minister told ANI in a telephonic conversation.

Kushwaha had been upset over seat sharing in Bihar for the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Soon after BJP president Amit Shah announced that his party and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) would fight on equal number of seats, Kushwaha demanded a larger seat share.

RSLP fought on three seats in 2014, however, Kushwaha demanded more for the upcoming elections citing that his party has grown in strength.

On November 17, he had asked the BJP to reach a consensus over the seat-sharing agreement.

A meeting between Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav and Kushwaha had set political circles abuzz with a possibility of the two parties siding with each other. Kushwaha later clarified that no political meaning should be derived out of it.

The RSLP chief has time and again flip-flopped on his relationship with the BJP. In the past, Kushwaha had also alleged that he was ignored by Amit Shah when he asked for a meeting. Earlier, he had also stated that his party would continue to maintain its alliance with the BJP and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janashakti Party (LJP).