The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) has once again placed its faith in Upendra Kushwaha, electing him the party's national president. Returning officer Pramod Kumar Suman formally announced his name at the convention. From the same platform, Kushwaha made his most striking remarks not just about the organisation, but about the political future of his son, Deepak Prakash, the Panchayati Raj Minister in the Bihar government.
A Father's Blunt Assurance on His Son's Post
Asked whether Deepak Prakash would keep his ministerial position, Kushwaha brushed aside every kind of speculation. According to him, no one needs to harbour any confusion on the matter any longer. He said the top leaders of the NDA had shown good judgement, and that is precisely why Deepak Prakash was made a minister a second time — had that not been the case, the responsibility would not have come his way again. Kushwaha stressed that his son would remain a minister for the entire term, and that as long as the NDA government is in power in Bihar, there should be no doubt over this post.
Why Questions Are Being Raised
Kushwaha's assurance, in fact, comes amid a constitutional knot. Deepak Prakash took oath as a minister for the second time on 7 May 2026. The provisions of the Constitution state that a person who is not a member of either house can hold a ministerial post for a maximum of six months — that is, until 6 November 2026. In the current Legislative Council election he was not fielded as a candidate, which has, for now, shut off the route for him to become an MLC. The next opportunity is nomination to the Legislative Council under the governor's quota, but that is due in March 2027 — well after the six-month constitutional deadline runs out. It is this clash that has put a question mark over Deepak Prakash's ministership, even as Kushwaha keeps vouching that he will stay on.
Praise for Nitish Kumar's 20 Years, With Caveats
The political resolution passed at the convention lauded the 20-year tenure of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The resolution noted that under his leadership Bihar made remarkable progress on basic amenities such as roads, electricity, transport and drinking water. At the same time, the party did not shy away from acknowledging that much remains to be done in the fields of education, health, industry and employment.
From the Judiciary to Delimitation — Other Demands Tabled
At the national convention the party also raised issues concerning the judiciary, passing a resolution that demanded changes to the collegium system along with reforms in India's judicial system. On the 2026 delimitation exercise, it called for population to be made the real basis, and for the seats of Bihar and other states to be increased without cutting the seats of the southern states.
Several other demands featured in the convention's resolutions as well — renaming the state capital Patna as 'Pataliputra', declaring the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule as 'Women Education Day', promoting agriculture-based industries, and installing a life-size statue of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur within the Parliament complex.
