After riding the crest without any opposition for some time now, the first signs of unrest against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar appeared recently — less than fifteen months after his coming to power in the state. One of his close confidants in the party staged a Kushwaha caste rally in Patna and voiced discontent against the present government. Leaders of the caste, cutting across party lines, shared the dais and charged that their caste was being deprived of its due share in power, despite the fact that the caste played a crucial role in ousting Lalu Prasad Yadav and installing Nitish Kumar.

A principal general secretary in the state party, Upendra Kushwaha had organised the rally and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chaggan Bhujbal was the chief guest. JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha is reported to have fallen off with Nitish and, thereby, he gave vent to his anger through this rally.

The well-attended rally is being perceived as the beginning of a revolt against the Nitish Kumar government. The leaders stressed the aspiration of its caste members to see a member of their caste donning the seat of power in the state. They stressed that though they formed nine per cent of the state’s population but still have failed to make it to the top post while other castes with a much lower share have become rulers. “This rally is not for or against the government. This is to give the message that Kushwahas will no longer act as a political appendage in the state and will teach a lesson to those who think so,” Upendra Kushwaha declared, while exhorting his caste men and other marginalised backwards to rise for their right.

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