Patna: Madhav Anand, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) legislator from Madhubani, has stepped into the political spotlight by openly rebelling against his party chief, Upendra Kushwaha, over what he describes as growing family-centric decision-making within the organisation.
Speaking candidly to a TV news channel from Delhi, Anand criticised Kushwaha’s decision to make his son, Deepak Prakash, a minister, arguing that it has left party workers demoralised and leaders without answers at the grassroots. “You tell us what we should say to the workers,” Anand said, calling the move a “suicidal step” that risks alienating the party’s base.
Anand’s remarks carry weight within the RLM. A long-time associate of Kushwaha, he has previously avoided public confrontation, but now says repeated neglect and a lack of organisational opportunities pushed him to speak out. He pointed to what he described as a concentration of power within one family: Kushwaha in the Rajya Sabha, his wife as an MLA, and now his son in the state cabinet despite not being an elected legislator.
The Madhubani MLA’s dissent has resonated beyond his own constituency. Along with fellow RLM legislators Rameshwar Mahto and Alok Singh, Anand was noticeably absent from a recent social gathering hosted by Kushwaha in Patna. The trio were later seen meeting senior BJP leader Nitin Naveen, a move that fuelled speculation about growing unease within the party and possible political realignments.
Anand has not announced any formal break, but his tone suggests a deepening rift. “We are still in the party,” he said, “but leadership decisions cannot ignore the sentiments of workers who built the organisation.”
His intervention has sharpened the internal debate within the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, which has already faced turbulence in recent months. For now, Madhav Anand has become the clearest face of internal resistance, turning a simmering discontent into an open challenge to Upendra Kushwaha’s authority – and raising fresh questions about the party’s cohesion ahead of future political battles in Bihar.
