The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is making every effort to return to power in Bihar. Amidst the political heat of the assembly elections, the RJD recently made organizational changes, replacing Jagdanand Singh with Mangani Lal Mandal as the Bihar state president. At a meeting of the RJD state council held in Patna, Mangani Lal Mandal was formally handed the reins of the Bihar organization. This has sparked questions about the intentions of Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav regarding Jagdanand Singh: will he be promoted within the RJD, or will he be sidelined?
The meeting of the RJD state council in Patna was attended by prominent party leaders, including Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav. Jagdanand Singh, whose position was taken over by Mangani Lal Mandal, was also present. Lalu Yadav congratulated Mangani Lal Mandal on becoming the state president, saying that there was no time for waiting and that the person who works hard and serves the poor day and night will become the party’s candidate. He also thanked Jagdanand Singh, stating that he had taken the party forward. Now, everyone’s eyes are on Jagdanand Singh’s political future in the RJD.
Jagdanand Singh has a significant political standing in Bihar and is considered close to Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is one of the founding members of the RJD and shares good relations with both Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav. He has been an MLA six times and a Lok Sabha MP once. In 2019, Jagdanand Singh was appointed as the RJD state president. He played an important role in the RJD’s performance in the 2020 elections. Now, just before the elections, the RJD has handed over the command to Mangani Lal Mandal, who comes from the Extremely Backward Class (EBC), leading to speculation about Jagdanand Singh’s new role in the party.
In the RJD state council meeting, Tejashwi Yadav demanded that Jagdanand Singh be given a national role in the party. Consequently, the question of what role Jagdanand Singh will get in the RJD is rapidly gaining traction in Bihar politics. During the state council meeting, Lalu Yadav also appeared to agree with Tejashwi Yadav’s demand. Lalu Yadav said that he thanks Jagdanand Singh and that he has done a lot of work and taken the party forward. He also thanked everyone for keeping him in the post of RJD’s national president for 28 years.
Following Mangani Lal Mandal’s appointment as state president, the RJD’s national president election is scheduled for July 5th. The way Lalu Yadav thanked everyone for keeping him as RJD president for 28 years has raised questions. Will Lalu Yadav now step down from the party president’s post? If Lalu withdraws from becoming the national president, will Jagdanand Singh be given the command, or will another face be crowned? Tejashwi’s advocacy for a national role for Jagdanand Singh suggests that he will soon be given a significant responsibility at the national level in the RJD, but his exact role is unclear.
In fact, if Lalu Prasad Yadav, after appointing Mangani Lal Mandal as the state president, then puts forward Jagdanand Singh’s name for the national president, it will send a major message to the people of Bihar. Under this strategy of Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, an attempt will be made to wash away the family politics tag on the Lalu family, as well as to send a big message to the upper castes, especially the Rajput community.
Lalu Prasad Yadav wants his younger son, Tejashwi Yadav, to become the Chief Minister of Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav has served as Deputy CM twice, in 2015 and 2023, but has not been able to become CM. This time, the RJD is making every possible move to win the political battle in Bihar. Along with correcting the caste equations, the party has also expanded the circle of allied parties. Lalu Yadav said on Thursday that the ‘Extremely Backward’ class needs to be united and strengthened.
He also thanked everyone for making him the national president of the party. He mentioned that he has been in this position for the last 28 years. Lalu Yadav said that they have to remove the BJP and Nitish Kumar and form their own government, a government of the poor and farmers, and fulfill their expectations. He appealed to everyone to make Tejashwi the Chief Minister with full strength. He asked the workers to work with full strength in the field. Lalu Yadav talked about awakening the youth power and women’s power and finally thanked everyone. He gave the slogan ‘Tejashwi Yadav Zindabad’, sending the message that the future of the RJD will be in Tejashwi’s hands.