After Rajya Sabha snub, RCP Singh says all is well in JDU; Nitish Kumar explains decision

A day after Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United (JD-U) picked former Jharkhand lawmaker Khiru Mahto over Union Minister RCP Singh for the Rajya Sabha seat, the Bihar Chief Minister came forward to issue an explanation on Monday. Speaking to the media about RCP Singh, who has been known to the JD-U since the time he was an IAS officer, CM Nitish Kumar said that he has been given 'a lot of opportunities'. 

"He has been sent to Rajya Sabha twice. He was also made the party's president and he is currently a minister in Central Govt. So he has got all these opportunities," CM Kumar said, while speaking about Singh. 

Union Min RCP Singh thanks CM Nitish Kumar

Earlier in the day, RCP Singh had also listed the many opportunities that he has been entrusted with by the JDU, and underlined that the decision to choose Khiru Mahto over him was taken to 'strengthen' the party's organisation. Underlining that he is at the disposal of the party today, and forever, he expressed his gratitude to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. "I have not done anything for which the leaders will be upset with me...whatever responsibility I got till now, I have delivered with honesty." 

"I have very good relations with Lalan Singh...Also, with Nitish Kumar...They are my leaders, why will they punish me? The day they call me, I will go and meet them. There is no problem in the JDU," said
RCP Singh, whose tenure in the Upper House of the Parliament is scheduled to end on July 7. 

Rajya Sabha polls

A total of 57 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states are going to the polls on May 10. In Maharashtra, five seats are up for grabs due to the impending retirement of BJP's Gopal Narayan Singh and Satish Chandra Dubey, Misa Bharti of RJD and JDU's RCP Singh. The election will also take place to fill the vacancy created by Sharad Yadav's resignation from the Upper House with effect from December 4, 2017.  Based on their current strength in the Assembly, BJP and RJD are confident of winning two seats each whereas JDU is poised to win one seat.

As far as BJP is concerned, it has renominated Dubey and fielded Shambhu Sharan Patel for the second seat. On the other hand, RJD has reposed faith in Misa Bharti and Faiyaz Ahmad. As JDU has decided to back its Jharkhand unit chief Khiru Mahto, RCP Singh has to get elected to either Houses of Parliament by January 2023 to retain his position in the Union Cabinet. 

Image: PTI