Upendra Kumar Singh also called Upendra Kushwaha is an Indian politician and a former member of the Bihar Legislative Council and Bihar Legislative Assembly. He has also served as Minister of State for Human Resources and Development in the Government of India. Kushwaha is a former Member of Parliament from the Karakat constituency in Rohtas district Bihar and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the leader of the Rashtriya Samata Party, his own party which merged with Janata Dal United in 2009. Later, he formed Rashtriya Lok Samata Party which also merged with JDU in 2021. In February 2023, Kushwaha resigned from all positions in Janata Dal and formed his party called Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

He entered politics in 1985. From then until 1988, he was the State General Secretary of Yuva Lok Dal. He became the National General-Secretary of Yuva Janata Dal from 1988-1993. He also worked as general secretary for Samata Party from 1994 to 2002. Kushwahawas member of Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2000 to 2005 and was appointed Deputy Leader of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. In March 2004, Kushwaha was made leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

The real momentum in Kushwaha's career came when he was appointed as the Minister of State for Human Resource Development in the Union Government in 2012 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. This role placed him in a national spotlight, allowing him to influence educational policies at the national level. His tenure, however, was not without controversy; his resignation in 2013 was propelled by his dissatisfaction with the handling of corruption issues by the government and his party's stance on various national matters.

Following his resignation from the Union Cabinet, Kushwaha made a significant move by founding the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) in March 2013. The RLSP aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), seeing Kushwaha embracing a new political alignment that promised to be more conducive to his regional and social agendas.

By March 2021, amidst much political speculation, Kushwaha decided to merge RLSP with JD(U), thus returning to the fold of a major regional party in Bihar.

The merger was strategic for both Kushwaha and the JD(U). For Kushwaha, it meant access to a larger political platform and the ability to leverage JD(U) 's organizational strength in Bihar. For the JD(U), Kushwaha's return meant consolidating OBC votes, particularly the Kushwaha community, which could prove pivotal in state elections.

Upon rejoining JD(U), Kushwaha was appointed as the President of the party's Parliamentary Board, a role that signifies his importance in the party's strategy planning and execution. His tasks were cut out, particularly in revitalizing the party's grassroots connections and strategizing for upcoming elections.

After the 2024 election results were declared, it was noted that Kushwaha was moved to the third position.