With State Assembly polls just months away, Bihar’s Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Saturday held a preparatory strategy meeting that featured a revamped list of district presidents. With the RJD now gearing up for the upcoming elections, scheduled to be held in October-November, the party has rejigged its organisational hierarchy with an increased focus on the Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) and Dalits, while retaining the emphasis on its traditional M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) vote bank.
All senior party leaders, MPs and MLAs attended the meeting at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s official residence at 10, Circular Road, to mull over the likely strategy for the upcoming elections and the Budget session of the legislative Assembly beginning from February 25. Leader of the Opposition and party chief Lalu Prasad’s heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav too was present at the meeting. “Though, there was no fixed agenda to discuss in the meeting, we mulled over the party’s strategies for the upcoming State Assembly election,” said a senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Speaking to reporters as they exited the meeting, senior leaders said the coming days would see a large number of ruling JD(U) leaders joining the RJD as most of them were “unhappy with the party leadership’s stand on the CAA and NRC”. On Saturday JD(U) MLC Javed Iqbal Ansari met the imprisoned Mr. Prasad at the government hospital in Ranchi and questioned party president Nitish Kumar’s leadership.
“About 30-35 JD(U) leaders are in touch with our party chief Lalu Prasad and party leader Tejashwi Yadav,” asserted RJD MLA and former minister Shiv Chandra Ram. “Most of them are unhappy with their party leadership’s stand on CAA and NRC,” he added.
Earlier, on Friday, the RJD revamped the list of its district presidents with added focus on EBC and Dalit leaders. The party, however, maintained its core M-Y representation intact in the list. Out of a total 50 district presidents, the party released the names of 49 while not announcing an appointment to the post of Patna district president. Only 12 district presidents could manage to retain their posts in the new list, while 37 new faces were inducted. In the new list of RJD district presidents, 14 are from the EBC, 8 from SC/ST, while 13 are Yadavs and 12 from the Muslim community. In the previous list 23 were from the Yadav community and 16 were Muslims. This time the party has also created a new post of principal general secretary in each district.
Political observers in the State interpreted the RJD’s move as an attempt to woo the EBC and Dalit voters. “This also shows RJD’s marginal shift from its traditional M-Y core strength and an attempt to make a dent into the JD(U)’s EBC vote bank,” observed political analyst Ajay Kumar.
However, JD(U) leaders took a swipe at the RJD over its revamp. “RJD is still grappling with caste politics while we contest elections on development,” said JD(U) leader and State minister Niraj Kumar. “People of the State know who has done what for the development of the State,” he added.
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