Upendra Kushwaha’s party faces rebellion: seven members quit over ‘dynastic politics’

Seven members of the Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), an NDA ally, resigned on Thursday (November 27, 2025), accusing the party chief of promoting dynastic politics.

Mr. Kushwaha is a Rajya Sabha member, while his wife Snehlata Kushwaha won the recently concluded Bihar Assembly election from the Sasaram seat. However, he (Mr. Kushwaha) chose his son Deepak Prakash, 36, who is not a member of either house of the State Legislature, to be the Panchayati Raj Minister in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s cabinet. In the recently held Assembly elections, Mr. Kushwaha-led RLM had won four seats out of six it contested as part of the NDA alliance and got one ministerial berth.

Protesting against Mr. Kushwaha’s decision to appoint his son as a Cabinet Minister, as many as seven of his party leaders, including state party president Mahendra Kushwaha, vice-president Jitendra Nath, resigned, accusing Mr. Kushwaha of resorting to “Pariwarwaad (dynastic politics), instead of following socialist principles”. “He (Upendra Kushwaha) often talks about moral values and ethics in politics but when the time came he preferred his family for power”, Mahendra Kushwaha told media persons.

The other leaders who quit the party on Thursday are state party general secretary and spokesperson Rahul Kumar, state general secretary and in-charge of Nalanda district Rajesh Ranjan Singh, state party general secretary and Jamui district in-charge Bipin Kumar Chaurasia, state party general secretary and Lakhisarai district in-charge Pramod Yadav and Sheikhpura district president of the party Pappu Mandal. “I’ve been with the party for nine years, but now I am unsure about my own political future. Mr. Kushwaha’s decision has been a classic case of promoting dynastic politics,” said party vice-president Jitendra Nath. Rahul Kumar said, “Mr Kushwaha has fallen into the trap of dynastic politics”. Now what is the difference between him (Mr Kushwaha) and other leaders who only promote their family?”

Earlier, while defending his son’s induction into the Cabinet, Mr. Kushwaha had said he was a “qualified computer engineer”. “Deepak Prakash is not someone who failed in school . He worked hard, earned a degree in computer science engineering and even got a job. Give him (Mr. Prakash) some time to prove himself, and I am sure he would meet your expectations and trust,” Mr. Kushwaha had told media persons. Mr. Prakash is not a member of either house of the state legislature but is likely to be elected as a member of the State Legislative Council soon.

When asked about the accusation of promoting dynastic politics, Mr Kushwaha said, “I’ve taken a tough choice for the party. “Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) produces both nectar and poison. Some people have to drink poison. Yes, my current decision will lead to accusations of dynastic politics but still I made the decision.