HAD TO DRINK POISON TO SAVE THE PARTY: UPENDRA KUSHWAHA

HAD TO DRINK POISON TO SAVE THE PARTY: UPENDRA KUSHWAHA

27-NOV-ENG 17

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-------------------------"Churning the ocean yields both nectar and poison. Some people have to drink poison..." These are the words of RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha. Kushwaha has broken his silence on the storm of "nepotism" that arose after appointing a family member (son) to key party positions. He has made it clear that this decision was no less than "poison" for him, but it was necessary to swallow this "bitter sip" to save the party's existence.

Upendra Kushwaha has dug up old wounds within the party in defense of his decision. He said that there have been bitter experiences in the past when the party struggled and elected MPs and MLAs, but those people "won and went their own way." The result was that the party's coffers were left empty, and the organization was once again reduced to nothing.

Kushwaha bluntly stated, "Learning lessons from history, I felt that if this tough decision wasn't taken, any other option could bring the party back to nothing." Slamming opponents and critics who accused him of nepotism, Kushwaha expressed his views through a couplet: He said that he welcomes healthy criticism, but criticisms made with a "tainted mindset" only reveal the critics' intentions.

Dismissing questions about his son Deepak Prakash's abilities, Kushwaha said, "He is not a student who failed in any class of school." He explained that Deepak earned his engineering degree in computer science through hard work and received good upbringing from his family.

Kushwaha urged people to judge someone's abilities based on their capabilities, not their surname or family. He said, "Give him some time and wait for him to prove himself."

Upendra Kushwaha's statement makes it clear that in Bihar politics, he prioritizes pragmatism and party security over idealism, even if it means sacrificing his long-standing image.