JD(U) gave me powerless post of party's parliamentary board national president: Upendra Kushwaha

Patna, Jan 31 (IANS) Amid standoff with Nitish Kumar, disgruntled JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday accused the Chief Minister of giving him the "powerless" post of national parliamentary board's president.

"CM Nitish Kumar claims that he has exalted my position by making me the national president of the JD(U) parliamentary board but has not given any power. It is a kind of "Jhunjhuna" (rattle). It is a powerless post and I have no authority to appoint a member of the parliamentary board, Kushwaha said.

"When I merged my party with JD(U), Nitish Kumar had given me the post of national parliamentary board president. I thought it was a good post and I would do my best to make the party stronger. At that time, the constitution of the party allowed the parliamentary board president to appoint members. Later, the amendment was made and all power was centralised to the national president of the party. Now, the national president has the power to appoint members of the party's parliamentary board," Kushwaha said.

Kushwaha shot into prominence in the state politics ever since he had given statements against CM Nitish Kumar. He said that the senior leaders of JD(U) are in touch with BJP. He also refused to leave the party without getting 'hissedari' stake from Nitish Kumar.

The relationship between the two leaders soured after Kushwaha went to Delhi and met with some of the BJP leaders in AIIMS.