When Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha cited Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's poem, threatening to launch a mega-battle against his own allies, it was expected that an announcement about his "exit" from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will follow. However, suspense continues over Kushwaha's allegiance, and is being attributed to the fact that he is yet to crack a deal with the Mahagathbandhan.

Kushwaha had set November 30 deadline for the BJP to revise seat sharing formula within the NDA for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but it did not elicit any response from the saffron party. It was expected that he would make the "big announcement" about his allegiance after talking to his partymen in Champaran during December 4 -6 meet. But he has not made any comment about leaving the NDA so far.

"The reason no announcement has been made so far is that Kushwaha has not been able to crack a deal with the Mahagathbandhan yet. He was in talks with the RJD, but nothing concrete could materialise from his meetings with Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. He then contacted some senior Congress leaders and the discussions are underway," said a source in the RLSP, Bihar unit.

"Kushwaha's comments also hope to incite the BJP, for he may play the victim card, if they remove him from the Cabinet and NDA," he added.

Both Kushwaha and Congress are said to be waiting for the results of the assembly election in the five states before finalising the seat division. "How both parties fare in the polls may add to their bargaining power though it is given that Kushwaha's support base of around 5% Koeri voters will benefit the Grand Alliance," said a Congress leader in Bihar.

A BJP leader said, "It is not that the BJP did not want Kushwaha in the NDA fold. But the bitterness shared between Nitish and Kushwaha and the latter's chief ministerial ambitions, became troublesome for the saffron party to handle and ultimately we had to choose one side."

Both Kushwaha and Congress are said to be waiting for the results of the assembly election in the five states and see how they fare before finalising a seat share arrangement