Former union minister and Janata Dal (United) chief RCP Singh, who’s dealing with allegations of graft, Saturday give up Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and introduced to type his personal political get together.
The transfer got here hours after the JD(U) sought an evidence from its former nationwide president Singh on critical allegations of corruption levelled in opposition to him by some unidentified get together staff.
“The allegations are a conspiracy by those who envied my getting inducted into the Union cabinet. I would like to tell them that those living in glass houses must not hurl stones at others. I also hereby give up my primary membership of the party,” he mentioned.
JD(U)’s Bihar unit president Umesh Singh Kushwaha had demanded a reply from Singh. The get together staff have alleged that “huge property” has been amassed between 2013 and 2022 within the identify of Singh and his relations.
Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, had gained Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s belief whereas on central deputation within the late Nineties when his political mentor was a union minister. He had taken VRS in 2010 to hitch politics. Singh, who had served because the principal secretary to Kumar throughout his first 5 years because the chief minister, was seen as a blue-eyed boy of the de facto JD (U) chief and seamlessly rose in stature throughout the get together which thought-about him for 2 again to again phrases within the Rajya Sabha.
Kumar final yr selected to step down because the get together’s nationwide president and Singh gave the impression to be on a roll, changing his patron and clinching a cupboard berth on the Centre shortly afterwards. It, nonetheless, turned out that Singh accepted the ministerial publish with out the consent of Kumar, who was against the BJP’s coverage of “token representation” to allies.
The Bihar Chief Minister’s unhappiness turned evident quickly as Singh was requested to surrender the get together chief’s publish.
The writing was on the wall for all to see when denial of one other Rajya Sabha time period triggered him to lose his cupboard berth and lots of get together leaders perceived to be near him had been booted out.
The BJP, to which Singh had supposedly grown too shut for JD (U)’s consolation, got here out with a guarded response to the rumblings affecting its ally.
“It is JD (U)’s internal matter. The allegations against respectable RCP Singh ji is a matter of investigation. But we must also listen to what he has to say in response,” BJP spokesman Arvind Kumar Singh mentioned in a press release.
