From Defeat to a New Opportunity: Upendra Kushwaha's Rajya Sabha Nomination

In Upendra Kushwaha's reaction after his defeat from Karakat Lok Sabha's seat in Lok Sabha elections 2024, dissatisfaction with NDA was visible. In such a situation, now NDA is talking about sending Upendra Kushwaha to Rajya Sabha. According to sources of Rashtriya Lok Morcha, Upendra Kushwaha will file a nomination on August 21 at 11 am.

August 21 is the last day to file a nomination. On the other hand, the BJP will have candidates in the second seat. The state unit has shortlisted the names of the contenders and handed them over to the central leadership of the BJP.

BJP can announce the names of the candidates today itself. In such a situation, sending Upendra Kushwaha to Rajya Sabha by NDA means that efforts are being made to woo him before the Bihar elections.

Upendra Kushwaha was the NDA candidate from the Karakat seat in the Lok Sabha elections. Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh also contested from here. While BJP gave ticket to Pawan Singh from Asansol. Rejecting BJP’s ticket, Pawan stood as an independent from Karakat. In such a situation, when the result from the Karakat seat went in favour of Rajaram Singh of the Left party, Upendra Kushwaha had said that everyone knows whether Pawan Singh was the factor in his defeat or was made so. Everyone knows whether a mistake was made or a mistake was made to be made. At that time his satisfaction was clearly visible and discussions of infighting in NDA had also started.

Upendra Kushwaha broke ties with JDU twice and NDA twice. Then his party merged with JDU twice and twice he joined NDA. Now once again he is with NDA. In 2007, JDU expelled Upendra. After this, he formed a party named Rashtriya Samta Party. In 2009, this party again merged with JDU and he went to Rajya Sabha.

In 2013, while being a Rajya Sabha member, Upendra Kushwaha once again resigned from JDU and formed a party named Rashtriya Lok Samta Party. After this, his party became a part of NDA in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He won from Karakat seat and was made Minister of State for Human Resource Development in the Modi government. In 2018, he again left the NDA alleging non-fulfillment of promises. After the assembly elections in 2020, Upendra Kushwaha's party RLSP merged with JDU. JDU sent him to the Legislative Council.

In 2023, once again Upendra Kushwaha showed rebellious attitude and separated from JDU and formed RLJD, which later became Rashtriya Lok Morcha. With this, once again Upendra Kushwaha joined NDA before the 2024 elections and in this election, he had to face defeat from Karakat seat.