The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is an Indian political party founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav, with a strong base in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Kerala. Traditionally supported by Other Backward Classes, Dalits, and Muslims, the RJD is known for advocating lower-caste interests. It gained national party status in 2008 but lost it in 2010. Currently, RJD is the largest party and official opposition in Bihar, leading the Mahagathbandhan government. It also participates in ruling coalitions in Jharkhand and Kerala.
Elections:
Lok Sabha Elections:
| Lok Sabha Term | Indian General Election | Seats Contested | Seats Won | States |
| 13th Lok Sabha | 1999 | 61 | 7 | Bihar (7) |
| 14th Lok Sabha | 2004 | 42 | 24 | Bihar (22), Jharkhand (2) |
| 15th Lok Sabha | 2009 | 44 | 4 | Bihar (4) |
| 16th Lok Sabha | 2014 | 30 | 4 | Bihar (4) |
| 17th Lok Sabha | 2019 | 21 | 0 | N/A |
| 18th Lok Sabha | 2024 | 23 | 4 | Bihar (4) |
Bihar Vidhan Sabha (Lower House) Performance:
| Vidhan Sabha Term | Assembly Elections | Seats Contested | Seats Won |
| 11th Vidhan Sabha | 2000 | 293 | 124 |
| 12th Vidhan Sabha | February 2005 | 210 | 71 |
| 13th Vidhan Sabha | October 2005 | 175 | 54 |
| 14th Vidhan Sabha | 2010 | 168 | 22 |
| 15th Vidhan Sabha | 2015 | 101 | 80 |
| 16th Vidhan Sabha | 2020 | 144 | 75 |
Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha Performance:
| Vidhan Sabha Term | Assembly Elections | Seats Contested | Seats Won |
| 2nd Vidhan Sabha | 2005 | 51 | 7 |
| 3rd Vidhan Sabha | 2009 | 56 | 5 |
| 4th Vidhan Sabha | 2014 | 19 | 0 |
| 5th Vidhan Sabha | 2019 | 7 | 1 |
Formation:
On July 5, 1997, Pappu Yadav, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Mohammad Shahabuddin, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Kanti Singh, Mohammed Taslimuddin, and Md Ali Ashraf Fatmi, along with seventeen Lok Sabha MPs and eight Rajya Sabha MPs, established the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in New Delhi as a breakaway from the Janata Dal. Lalu Prasad Yadav was elected the party’s first president. RJD is a center-left party.
In the March 1998 national elections, RJD secured 17 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar but did not make significant gains elsewhere. The party later formed a secular coalition with Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party, but the alliance struggled to gain broad support.
In the UPA Era:
In the October 1999 elections, RJD, allied with the Indian National Congress, lost 10 Lok Sabha seats, including Lalu Prasad Yadav’s seat. However, RJD performed well in the 2000 Bihar state elections, winning a majority of assembly seats.
The party’s fortunes improved further in the 2004 elections, securing 24 Lok Sabha seats in an alliance with the Indian National Congress and joining the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). During this period, Lalu Yadav served as the Minister of Railways.
In the February 2005 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, RJD won 75 seats but lost power. The party’s performance declined further in state elections later that year, securing only 54 seats.
In the 2009 general elections, RJD broke away from the UPA due to failed seat-sharing talks and formed an alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, known as the “Fourth Front.” The RJD’s performance was poor, winning just four seats, all in Bihar. The party did not renew its alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the 2010 Assembly elections.
In the 2014 general elections, RJD rejoined the UPA and contested in alliance with the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party in Bihar. Despite this, RJD won only four out of 40 seats in Bihar.
The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar:
On April 14, 2015, RJD, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party, and Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) merged into the Janata Parivar alliance to oppose the BJP, ending their long-standing alliance with the INC. This merger provided the alliance with 14 Lok Sabha seats and 30 Rajya Sabha seats.
On May 7, 2015, RJD expelled Pappu Yadav for six years due to his anti-RJD activities. Yadav went on to form the Jan Adhikar Party.
In the November 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, RJD emerged as the largest party with 80 seats, while JD(U) secured 71 seats, BJP 53 seats, and Congress 27 seats. In vote share, BJP led with 24.4%, followed by RJD with 18.4%, JD(U) with 16.8%, and Congress with 6.7%. Nitish Kumar of JD(U) became Chief Minister, with Lalu Yadav’s son Tejashwi Yadav as Deputy Chief Minister.
In July 2017, due to corruption allegations against Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish Kumar demanded his resignation. When RJD refused, Kumar resigned to maintain his clean image, leading to a new BJP-JD(U) coalition. Nitish Kumar resumed as Chief Minister, with Sushil Modi of BJP as Deputy Chief Minister.
The alliance between RJD and Congress fractured in October 2021 over by-election ticket distribution, with Congress fielding candidates in contested areas.
In August 2022, the Mahagathbandhan reformed, with JD(U), Congress, Hindustan Awam Morcha, and the Left Front joining forces to form a two-thirds majority in the Bihar Legislative Assembly.
In January 2024, Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan to ally with BJP once more, becoming Chief Minister again.
Controversies and Criticism:
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has faced significant controversies and criticism, including:
– Caste-Based Politics and Criminal Allegations: RJD has been criticized for its involvement in caste-based politics and support for individuals with criminal backgrounds. Mohammad Shahabuddin, a prominent RJD leader, was involved in numerous criminal cases, including accusations of murder and intimidation of legal proceedings.
– Law and Order Issues: During Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister of Bihar, the state experienced severe law and order problems, including a rise in kidnappings and the proliferation of private armies. Yadav’s administration faced criticism in high-profile cases, such as the Shilpi-Gautam Murder case and the suspicious death of his daughter’s friend, Abhishek Mishra.
– Corruption Scandals: Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son and wife, have been implicated in various corruption scandals, including the land-for-jobs scam. Tejashwi Yadav was also accused of threatening Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agents during an investigation.
– Alleged Links with Militia Groups:RJD has been accused of having connections with the Ranvir Sena, a militia known for targeting lower-caste communities. The Ranvir Sena has been linked to inciting riots and mass killings against Dalits in Bihar.
List of chief ministers:
Bihar Chief Ministers’ Terms:
1. Lalu Prasad Yadav
– Term: March 10, 1990 – March 28, 1995
– Duration: 5 years, 18 days
– Party: Janata Dal
2. Lalu Prasad Yadav
– Term: April 4, 1995 – July 25, 1997
– Duration: 2 years, 112 days
– Party: Janata Dal
3. Rabri Devi
– Term: July 25, 1997 – February 11, 1999
– Duration: 1 year, 201 days
– Party: Rashtriya Janata Dal
4. Rabri Devi
– Term: March 9, 1999 – March 2, 2000
– Duration: 359 days
– Party: Rashtriya Janata Dal
5. Rabri Devi
– Term: March 11, 2000 – March 6, 2005
– Duration: 4 years, 360 days
– Party: Rashtriya Janata Dal
List of central ministers:
1. Lalu Prasad Yadav
– Position: Minister of Railways
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 22, 2009
2. Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav
– Position: Minister of Water Resources
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 22, 2009
3. Mohammad Taslimuddin
– Position: Ministry of Agriculture and Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 22, 2009
4. Kanti Singh
– Position: Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism; Minister of Women and Child Development
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 22, 2009
5. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh
– Position: Minister of Rural Development
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 24, 2009
6. Md. Ali Ashraf Fatmi
– Position: Ministry of Human Resource Development
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 24, 2009
7. Raghunath Jha
– Position: Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises
– Term: May 24, 2004 – May 24, 2009
Prominent Members of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD):
– Raghuvansh Prasad Singh
– Role: Co-founder, close aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Union Minister for Rural Development
– Raghunath Jha
-Role: Co-founder, close aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Union Minister; instrumental in establishing Lalu Raj in Bihar
– Md. Ali Ashraf Fatmi
– Role: Co-founder, close aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Union Minister for Human Resource Development; four-time Member of Parliament
– Abdul Bari Siddiqui
-Role: Former Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, former Finance Minister of Bihar, former RJD President
– Alok Kumar Mehta
– Role: National General Secretary of RJD
– Mohammad Shahabuddin
– Role: Former Member of Parliament from Siwan, former National Vice President, former member of RJD’s National Executive Committee
– Prem Kumar Mani
– Role: Vice President and Strategist of RJD
– Jagada Nand Singh
– Role: State President of RJD for Bihar
– Dr. Tanweer Hassan
– Role: Senior Vice President of RJD Bihar, former Member of Bihar Legislative Council
– Shivchandra Ram
– Role: Former Member of the Legislative Assembly
– Ram Chandra Purve
– Role: Member of Bihar Legislative Council, former State President of RJD
– Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav
– Role: General Secretary of RJD, former Cabinet Minister in Bihar Government, former Union Minister and MP
– Sarfaraz Alam
– Role: Former Minister in Bihar Government, former MP from Araria
– Manoj Jha
-Role: MP Rajya Sabha, National Spokesperson of RJD
– Prem Chand Gupta
– Role: MP Rajya Sabha, former Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Company Affairs in First Manmohan Singh Ministry
– Ahmad Ashfaque Karim
– Role: MP Rajya Sabha
– Surendra Prasad Yadav
– Role: Senior RJD leader, Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly from Belaganj, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee
– K. P. Mohanan
– Role: Party Head for Kerala Legislative Assembly