PATNA: Refuting the allegations of Union minister and former JD(U) national president RCP Singh, the party’s Bihar president Umesh Singh Kushwaha on Tuesday said the number of cells in the state unit of JD(U) were reduced to 12 from 33 at the directive of the party’s ‘Sarvamanya’ (universally accepted) leader & Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the reforms were executed under the guidance of the party’s current national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh.
RCP, while taking to media persons on Monday, a day after the JD(U) denied him ticket for the third consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha, not only pulled up the party state president Kushwaha for reducing the number of cells to 12 from 33, but also raised a question mark over the restructuring of the party’s cells.
When RCP was the national president, he had got formed 33 cells in the state unit and bifurcated each cell into two organizational state units – the North Bihar state unit and the South Bihar state unit. Moreover, all cells had appointed their own 40 ‘Lok Sabha Kshetra Prabaharis’ and 243 ‘Vidhan Sabha Kshetra Prabaharis’.
Lalan became the JD(U)’s national president on July 31, 2021, replacing RCP. Soon after taking the command of the party, Lalan expressed his concern over the constitution of “too many” cells within the party. Lalan was of the view that these cells were running parallel units in the districts, leading to confusion among the supporters. Under the guidance of Lalan, all 33 cells were terminated in November 2021 and later, only 12 cells were reconstituted.
Criticizing Kushwaha for reducing the number of cells, RCP on Monday said, “The number of cells should have been increased to 53, instead of reducing the number to 12 to 13.” RCP also demanded restoration of all 33 cells which were constituted during his regime.
Reacting over RCP’s allegations, Kushwaha said, “A number of important decisions were taken under the directive of the party’s ‘Sarvmanya’ leader Nitish Kumar Ji. The number of cells were reduced by merging the similar nature of cells to make the organization ‘more strengthened, more effective and sharpened’.”
Kushwaha said earlier two separate cells were formed for traders and businessmen with different names. Similarly, ‘education’ and ‘Kalamjivi’ cells were running parallel. Such similar-nature cells were merged.
Interestingly, it was RCP who had appointed Kushwaha as the party's state president.
