New Delhi [India], May 17 : The central government has accorded 'Z' category security to Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) president Upendra Kushwaha in his home state Bihar as well as during his travel and stay in the national capital, sources said on Wednesday.
The lawmaker and former Union Minister Kushwaha has been accorded the 'Z' category security cover of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) took the decision and directed the CRPF to provide security cover to Kushwaha following a recent threat analysis report shared by Intelligence Bureau (IB).
In February this year, Kushwaha announced his exit from the ruling Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the launch of a new party, Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) in Bihar with another sharp attack on state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Kushwaha, 63, was praised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his "courage" after he resigned from JD(U).
The RLJD president has been upset with the Bihar Chief Minister after he endorsed his deputy Tejashwi Yadav as the next leader of the state's ruling grand alliance on December 13 last year and hinted that Yadav will be the alliance's presumptive Chief Minister in the 2025 assembly elections.
Bihar's ruling alliance comprises the Janata Dal (United), RJD, Congress and four other smaller parties.
The Centre's move to provide 'Z' category security to Kushwaha, analysts describe, shows his growing proximity with BJP, which has been eagerly looking for allies in Bihar to take on the multi-party grand alliance in the upcoming parliamentary and assembly elections.
JD(U) leader and CM Nitish Kumar quit the BJP-led NDA in August last year.
Kushwaha has been constantly attacking Nitish since he declared his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as his "political heir" stating that the next 2025 Bihar assembly polls would be fought under the leadership of the RJD leader. In fact, this became the trigger point behind his revolt against the JD(U) leadership before he eventually said goodbye to the party that he had joined barely two years back.
Kushwaha is the third person from the opposition camp to have been provided with security cover from the Centre.
Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had provided 'Y' plus category security to VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, BJP's former ally in the state who exited from the NDA following bitter seat-sharing disputes for UP assembly polls.
In January, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan was granted 'Z' category security by the Union Home Ministry. This came after Chirag campaigned for the BJP candidates in recent assembly bypolls in Mokama, Gopalganj and Kurhani and helped the party win two out of three despite the once ferocious-looking Grand Alliance.
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