'If his health was good he would have become CM again after polls.'
'Those who are with Nitish Babu today will remain with him till the elections to use his name for votes and would definitely play games with him after the polls.'
Former Janata Dal-United national president Ramchandra Prasad Singh, popularly known as RCP, recently surprised political observers ahead of the 2025 Bihar assembly elections when he merged his Aap Sabki Awaaz party with Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj Party.
An IAS officer turned politician, former Union minister Singh was once considered a confidant of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and is known for his networking and organisational skills.
RCP, 66, is an IAS officer of the 1983 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre and worked for 14 years in UP and later on deputation to the Centre. His rise in politics, after he sought voluntary retirement from the IAS in 2010 and joined the JD-U, was remarkable.
Nitish Kumar nominated him to the Rajya Sabha the same year and appointed him party president later.
RCP's relationship with Nitish Kumar goes back to 1999-2000.
When Nitish Kumar became Union railway minister, Singh became his personal secretary and when Nitish Kumar first became Bihar chief minister in 2005, Singh became his powerful principal secretary.
JD-U sources say RCP was promoted and groomed by Nitish Kumar as both men hail from Nalanda district and belong to the powerful OBC caste of Kurmis.
A few years ago RCP was widely seen as Nitish Kumar's likely successor, but that was not to be.
After RCP was inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ministry in 2021, he fell out of favour with Nitish Kumar.
RCP was denied another Rajya Sabha term in 2022, which forced to resign from the Union Cabinet.
A year later he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had by then been dumped by Nitish Kumar, but in another political U-turn Nitish emerged as an important ally of the BJP.
For the last year or so RCP has been orbiting in political oblivion before he decided to merge his fledgling party with the Jan Suraj Party.
"Nitish Kumar has lost control over politics, the government and administration," R C Singh tells Rediff Senior Contributor M I Khan.
What prompted you to suddenly join hands with Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj Party?
Both Prashant Kishor and I have been working on the same path in Bihar for the last few years to provide an alternative to the people, who are fed up with the ruling NDA as well as the opposition Mahagathbandhan.
Anyway, benefit alone is not a criterion in everything you decide. Our decision to join hands with Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj is based on the political ground reality prevailing in Bihar and the dominant views of our party leaders and workers.
Our goal is more or less the same, we have joined hands to emerge as a powerful political alternative to the people. Our politics is not for a year or two, it is for a long time.
One thing is clear after we merged with the Jan Suraj, our strength will grow and together we will emerge as a political force to challenge the ruling and Opposition alliance.
In politics, some people come and some people go away. Such things happen in politics.
On October 2 last year Prashant Kishor formally launched the Jan Suraj Party after a year-long campaign to tour the state for a close interaction with the people on the ground. I also launched a party on October 30, 2024. The aim of both was to create a space for politics and play positive politics for the people.
Political parties are formed for a long period, not for a short duration.
Long perspective with positive thoughts should be the main basis of politics.
What is going to be your role in Jan Suraj in view of the Bihar assembly polls this year?
My party's merger with Jan Suraj will benefit both because positive elements of both parties will come together.
Perception matters more in politics, we will go to the people and reach out to them with our agenda with a difference. We will contest the polls, but only on counting day will it be known how we performed and how much people supported and voted for us.
We are aiming to fill the gap of Nitish's perception.
Prashant Kishor and I worked together in the JD-U in 2015.
We have a good understanding. I am here for a long time in politics with him.
My role will be to strengthen the party and to widen our social network. I will work in the party to activate leaders and workers to reach out to the people by visiting them regularly and interacting with them.
Will you be number three in the party after Prashant Kishor, the face of the party, and newly appointed Jan Suraj national President Uday Singh?
It is for Jan Suraj to decide how to use my experiences and my service. My motive is to work for the people.
In politics one has to take risks. Positive elements of both will help each other.
We have the advantage of no anti-incumbency.
How do you see Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's political future?
I have closely worked with Nitish Babu for 25 years. I have had a unique opportunity to know him, his style of functioning and his political mindset.
It appears that there is nothing in the control of Nitish Babu now. Nitish Babu has lost control over politics, the government and administration.
Once he was known for his total control and strong grip over administration, but no longer.
People now accept that Nitish Babu is no longer physically fit, that his health is in poor condition and will not be able to lead the government after polls.
Nitish Babu badhte umar ke saath dhalan par hai (Nitish Babu is facing age-related issues and is near the end of his political career.)
His body language indicates poor health. When I read reports and watch video clips, Nitish Babu has been showing symptoms of bad health. Look at his language, the choice of words he has been using and his behaviour since the last year.
This is not the Nitish kumar I knew, worked and lived with. Nitish Babu has no control over his language, behaviour or anything.
You repeatedly claim that you are a well-wisher of Nitish Kumar. Why don't you advise him?
I am no longer with Nitish Babu despite our years-long close association.
I have not been in touch with him for the last three years after I quit the JD-U.
I have respect for him, I am his well-wisher.
I rang him several times when he was not well but was not able to talk to him. I failed to have a one to one conversation despite repeated attempts.
I have never had bad relations with Nitish Babu. I had spent hours and days with him, 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.
The BJP leadership has agreed to contest the Bihar assembly polls under Nitish Kumar's leadership, but is hesitant to declare him as the next CM face.
Nitish Babu still has a support base among many sections of society who will vote for him and his alliance. This is his strength and his lifeline to survive, whether he aligns with one party or the other.
In Bihar, my experience from the ground is clear, there are a large number of people who neither support nor vote for the BJP or RJD, they only vote for Nitish Babu on his face value and development works.
Those who are with Nitish Babu today will remain with him till the elections to use his name for votes and would definitely play games with him after the polls.
It is unfortunate and sad that Nitish Babu is at the end of his career, he is playing the last over of his last match.
If Nitish Babu's health was good he would have become CM again after the polls.
I wish him good health and happiness after he goes out of power. I know that many of his sycophants today will leave him the moment he is out of power.
What led you to first join the BJP and later resign? Were you not comfortable there?
I joined the BJP to work for the country but the top BJP leaders did not use my capability. I waited for a year to get an opportunity. When I realised my mistake, I simply left them.
It is a fact that the BJP has special relations with Nitish Babu and has a softness for him, they always prefer Nitish in place of any other.
How do you see electoral politics unfolding in the Bihar polls?
Both the ruling NDA and Opposition Mahagathbandhan are strong and enjoy a wide social support base. Despite this, there is a possibility of alternative politics, we are promoting this to take concrete shape.
The ground reality is different. The NDA may appear united and powerful, but there is a lack of trust and coordination between the BJP and JD-U.
The workers have no faith and trust in each other. Both suspect each other's support and vote transfer.
JD-U leaders still remember how its performance was sabotaged in the 2020 Bihar assembly polls by the BJP and Chirag Paswan when the party won only 43 assembly seats.
Similarly, the RJD and Congress also face a lack of confidence and trust in each other despite contesting the polls together.
How do you see your career so far?
By God's grace I was born, brought up and educated in a village and cracked the UPSC without reservation. My first posting as an IAS officer was in Amethi district then represented by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
I studied diplomacy at JNU in the early '80s, it was a memorable journey amidst a true democratic liberal-progressive atmosphere for a young village boy.
My entry into politics was not from any movement, street struggle or protest. I took VRS from the IAS and joined politics.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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