'Rebellion' in RLM as MLA questions leadership's intent
Patna: A fresh rift surfaced within Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha ’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) on Friday after party legislator Rameshwar Mahto publicly criticised the leadership for promoting “parivarvad” in the fledgling organisation. The trouble followed Kushwaha’s decision to appoint his son , who is not a member of either House of the state legislature, as a minister in the newly formed Nitish Kumar govt, bypassing the party’s four winning MLAs.
“Success in politics is not achieved merely through speeches, but through genuine intent and sound policy. When leadership’s intent becomes opaque and policies begin to shift more towards self-interest than public interest, the public can’t be misled for long,” Mahto wrote on social media, a comment that sparked reactions across political circles. He added that citizens now scrutinise “every step, every decision and every intention.”
Although rumours suggest Mahto is upset at being denied a ministerial berth, he rejected the claims. “I thought that people like me, who come from struggle, get ruined by dynasticism. I wrote about what the problem is today,” he told TOI over the phone, insisting his remarks reflected a broader national malaise, not an attack on his party.
Reacting to the post, RLM minister Deepak Prakash said he had not seen it but added that matters concerning the family must remain private. “I am of the opinion that family matters must remain confined within the family. If there are any issues, they must be sorted out within the family itself, rather than going public,” he told the reporters on Friday.
Last month, senior leaders Jitendra Nath and Rahul Kumar, associated with Kushwaha for nearly a decade, resigned from the party, alleging “dynastic rule” in the RLM.
The crisis began soon after Kushwaha appointed his son as a minister, superseding four MLAs, one of whom is his wife, Snehlata Kushwaha. She was later made the party’s chief whip in the state assembly.
Kushwaha has defended his decision, arguing that the move was required to stabilise the organisation and prevent further defections. He pointed to earlier instances where MPs and MLAs elected on the ticket of his former party, the RLSP, left the organization, a development he described as justification for consolidating control.
“Success in politics is not achieved merely through speeches, but through genuine intent and sound policy. When leadership’s intent becomes opaque and policies begin to shift more towards self-interest than public interest, the public can’t be misled for long,” Mahto wrote on social media, a comment that sparked reactions across political circles. He added that citizens now scrutinise “every step, every decision and every intention.”
Although rumours suggest Mahto is upset at being denied a ministerial berth, he rejected the claims. “I thought that people like me, who come from struggle, get ruined by dynasticism. I wrote about what the problem is today,” he told TOI over the phone, insisting his remarks reflected a broader national malaise, not an attack on his party.
Reacting to the post, RLM minister Deepak Prakash said he had not seen it but added that matters concerning the family must remain private. “I am of the opinion that family matters must remain confined within the family. If there are any issues, they must be sorted out within the family itself, rather than going public,” he told the reporters on Friday.
Last month, senior leaders Jitendra Nath and Rahul Kumar, associated with Kushwaha for nearly a decade, resigned from the party, alleging “dynastic rule” in the RLM.
The crisis began soon after Kushwaha appointed his son as a minister, superseding four MLAs, one of whom is his wife, Snehlata Kushwaha. She was later made the party’s chief whip in the state assembly.
Kushwaha has defended his decision, arguing that the move was required to stabilise the organisation and prevent further defections. He pointed to earlier instances where MPs and MLAs elected on the ticket of his former party, the RLSP, left the organization, a development he described as justification for consolidating control.
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