On July 2nd, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) officially nominated Upendra Kushwaha for the Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. This seat had become vacant after Vivek Thakur’s victory in the 2024 general elections from the Nawada constituency. Kushwaha is the national president of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). He founded this party after resigning from the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) following differences with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Upendra Kushwaha’s political journey
Upendra Kushwaha’s political journey in the 21st century is defined by two main points—advocacy for the Koeri-Kurmi (mainly Koeri) community and a tumultuous relationship with Chief Minister Kumar. It was at Kumar’s insistence that Upendra began using the surname ‘Kushwaha’ instead of ‘Singh’, signaling his caste identity.
Interestingly, Kushwaha’s disagreements with Kumar also relate to community welfare. In 2009, he formed the Rashtriya Samata Party, claiming to represent Koeris adequately. However, he merged it with the JD(U) the same year and secured a Rajya Sabha seat for himself.
RLM and NDA coalition
In 2013, he left the party and formed the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), which allied with the NDA for the 2014 general elections and won all three allocated seats. Kushwaha was appointed as a state minister, a position he resigned from in December 2018, subsequently resigning from the NDA.
After setbacks in the 2019 general elections and the 2015 and 2019 state assembly elections, Kushwaha merged his RLSP with the JD(U) in 2021, only to leave the JD(U) again in February 2023, forming the RLM once more.
NDA coalition in 2024 general elections
In 2024, RLM allied with the NDA for the general elections, claiming to secure Koeri-Kurmi votes. However, Kushwaha’s re-entry was delayed, during which Kumar had returned to the NDA, and the BJP had also elevated another community leader, Chaudhary, from the same community. Kushwaha’s bargaining power was reduced to winning only one seat, Karakat, through the coalition. He contested from there himself, counting on the popular appeal of caste factors and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Defeat in the elections
However, Kushwaha not only lost but came in third behind Rajaram Singh of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) and independent candidate Pawan Singh. Internally, RLM activists blamed the BJP for failing to control Singh, who was deemed crucial to Kushwaha’s defeat, leading to his expulsion from the party in May 2024. For BJP activists, this defeat signified Kushwaha’s diminishing relevance.
Discussions with Tejashwi Yadav
Meanwhile, discussions began with Tejashwi Yadav in the corridors of power. This posed a problem for the NDA, dominated by big leaders of the Koeri-Kurmi community such as Chaudhary, Kushwaha, and Chief Minister Kumar himself. Yet, a significant part of this community stood behind Tejashwi Yadav’s faction, particularly in the Shahabad region (Ara, Buxar, Karakat, and Aurangabad), where the NDA was defeated.
Clearly, Yadav successfully alienated Koeri-Kurmi voters from the NDA, giving the community, comprising 7.09% of the total population, 20% of the seats. He continued to attack the NDA by appointing Abhay Kumar Kushwaha as chairman of the parliamentary committee of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Kushwaha’s nomination strategy
Seeing Nitish Kumar’s ineffectiveness, the JD(U) also played its cards and nominated Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha for the Legislative Council (MLC) seat. Ultimately, the BJP had to consider two options: assume that Kushwaha was now irrelevant politically, or assume that he was relevant but lost due to the self-immolation by his former member Pawan Singh.
With Kushwaha’s nomination, the party chose the latter option. Teaming up with Kushwaha opens the door for the BJP to negotiate a deal against Kumar, as they also claim to bring Koeri-Kurmi votes to the NDA.
Status of Pashupati Kumar Paras
Meanwhile, Pashupati Kumar Paras, Chirag Paswan’s uncle and former minister in Modi 2.0, became the biggest loser. Widely believed to have been offered concessions for his nephew Chirag after the 2024 general elections, he was nominated for the Rajya Sabha seat.
This was a credible proposal, as no other claimants were seen. However, Kushwaha’s defeat caused almost irreparable damage to Paras. Between Paras and Kushwaha, the BJP had a natural alternative.
Conclusion
Intrigued by political puzzles, the BJP’s strategy to stake its claim on Upendra Kushwaha for the Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar is a well-planned strategy. It is not just an attempt to balance caste equations but also a move to weaken potential opponents and strengthen its base. Despite Kushwaha’s defeat, keeping his political relevance and influence in mind, this move by the BJP could play a significant role in the future political dynamics.
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