Patna: Bihar's political dynamics have heated up ahead of the assembly polls, with two prominent political figures, Prashant Kishore and RCP Singh, once considered close to the Janata Dal-United (JDU) chief and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, now charting their courses.
Kishore has already launched his party following his massive Jansuraj Yatra across the state, the former Union Minister Singh is also gearing up to take a similar route. The developments pose a major challenge for JDU in Bihar, particularly as the state's political equation is changing rapidly. In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, RCP Singh shares his insights into his new political venture and his relationship with both JDU and BJP.
ETV Bharat (ETB): You finally appeared in the media. There is a buzz that you will soon launch a political party.
RCP Singh (RCP): I am a person who always stays among the people. I used to roam around when I was in JDU, and even now I keep roaming around with the workers. As far as the formation of the party is concerned, there was constant pressure from the workers that we should form a new party. If I were in any political party; I could have waited, but the workers find a new way. That is why they have taken a decision. Soon the name of the party will be announced.
ETB: You had joined the BJP with great enthusiasm and later switched to the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. However, you gradually went into the backstage.
RCP: I did not go into the backstage. I do not have any new relationships with the Bharatiya Janata Party. I have been with Nitish Kumar since 1998. I have relations with all the big leaders of the BJP and will continue to have them. I am not forming the party with any negative thinking. I joined the party much later. Many party workers are associated with me. In a state of frustration, they could have gone anywhere; I do not want my workers to spoil their careers, which is why we decided to form a new party.
ETB: This means that you have become disillusioned with the BJP.
RCP: There is no question of attachment with the BJP. There is no such thing as attachment in politics. You have to see how the workers are feeling. If they are excited, you will be excited. If they are not excited, you will also be disappointed. That is why it was my responsibility to turn the disappointment of my workers into enthusiasm.
ETB: There is a discussion going over whether it was pressure from JDU that you did not get any big posts in the BJP.
RCP: I don't think there was any pressure from JDU leaders, because I have good relations with JDU leaders too. I don't think there was any pressure from JDU because the BJP itself is a very big party; I don't agree with that.
ETB: Nitish Kumar was with you for many years, but later your distance from him increased. How do you view the workings of the Bihar government?
RCP: I have never had bad relations with Nitish Kumar. The average age in the country is 71-72 years. I have been with him for the last 24 years. It is difficult to count the number of times I have had lunch, dinner, and breakfast with him. This is the reason why I have never made any personal comment against Nitish Kumar. I respect him as much today as I did earlier. It is my principle that if I work with someone for even an hour, I maintain a good relationship with them.
ETB: You had once called leaders surrounding Nitish Kumar as ‘members of the Bhunja Party.
RCP: The time when I said this was during the contest. At the time when I said this, I was in JDU. But now I am not at that party, so it would not be right to make personal comments about that party.
ETB: You had said that some leaders are not allowing Nitish Kumar to meet others.
RCP: I know Nitish Kumar. This situation happens sometimes. Indeed, very few of Nitish Babu's comrades in the struggle are still with him. Those who are with him have indeed joined the party very late. Whoever stayed with Nitish Kumar with complete honesty in the initial phase also respected them.
ETB: You've been quite close to Nitish Kumar from the start. You were regarded as the party's second-highest-ranking member. What happened that caused the distance so suddenly?
RCP: There is no distance from my side. Nitish Kumar also knows this; I did not give any advice that could harm JDU or Nitish Kumar. My job in the organisation was to take the party to the booth to train the workers. I had cordial relations with the workers. I was associated with leaders up to the panchayat level. Nitish Babu also knows this. He trained the workers for 26 days at the Chief Minister's residence. I never had any distance from Nitish Kumar.
ETB: In Bihar again, more than 60 people have died due to consumption of poisonous liquor. Why is the liquor ban not succeeding?
RCP: There are two or three aspects of the liquor ban. A liquor ban was brought in 2016 with good intentions. Their thinking was that due to liquor, the economic condition of poor people deteriorates, their bodies get damaged, criminal incidents increase, road accidents happen, and domestic violence increases. A liquor ban cannot be implemented just by making laws. People have to be made aware all the time. You will not find any person in Bihar who is in favour of liquor. This evil cannot be eradicated in 2-4 years.
ETB: But the way large quantities of liquor are confiscated every day, poisonous liquor is found, then there is something wrong somewhere.
RCP: The Bihar government is trying to implement it through law, which is not possible. Unless there is social awareness, prohibition cannot be successful. Nitish Kumar was advised that a high-level committee needs to be formed for this. But nothing happened. Prohibition is in force in other states too, and a committee was formed for that.
ETB: You are forming a party; will the party be at the regional level or national level?
RCP: After the formation of the party, we will try to establish it in Bihar. The day we will announce the formation of the party, you will also see people from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Delhi. We have worked in all the states, and I have people everywhere. But our priority will be that the party first gets established at the booth level in Bihar.
ETB: If the party contests the 2025 assembly elections, who will you choose between INDIA and the NDA for alliance?
RCP: Certainly, when the party is formed, we will go to every district to meet people. Wherever the party's strong allies will be assessed. We will see what the situation is. When we have strength, we will see that we are not against anyone. As far as the alliance is concerned, it will depend on the atmosphere at that time. The biggest thing is that if you have strength, then a decision will be taken accordingly.
