Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad Yadav is one of the major regional parties in the country. Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad Yadav was established on 05 July 1997. This party has formed government in Bihar thrice. The party’s symbol is a lantern and RJD became a national party in 2008, but lost this status in 2010. Party chief Lalu Yadav has been the Chief Minister of Bihar and the Railway Minister at the Centre. Apart from this, Lalu Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi has been the CM of Bihar thrice. At present, Lalu Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, younger son Tejashwi Yadav and daughter Misa Bharti are also active in politics.
History of RJD
The period from 1996 to 1998 is considered to be the most unstable period in India’s central politics. When Lalu Yadav formed Rashtriya Janata Dal, he was the Chief Minister of Bihar. But during this period, CBI decided to file a charge sheet against Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam. After being accused in the fodder scam, Lalu Yadav had founded the party to secure power and political base. The election symbol of this party is an arrow and the flag is green-white.
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RJD in trouble
Let us tell you that the leadership of RJD has been repeatedly accused of high-profile corruption scams. Apart from this, cases are also registered against other members of the Yadav family and party scion leader Tejashwi Yadav, including job-in-lieu-of-land scam, railway tender bribery scandal, income tax evasion case in 2017, Patna Zoo soil scam and illegal property cases.
RJD became number 1
RJD, which was formed by Lalu Yadav on his own in 1997, did wonders in the very next assembly elections. During that time Jharkhand was a part of Bihar. During this period there used to be 324 assembly seats. In the 2000 state assembly elections, RJD won 124 out of 324 seats. Although the party did not have a majority, there was some political turmoil in the state.
During this period, the central government extended its support to the other party, but the government fell due to not being able to prove majority in the assembly. After which Lalu Yadav took power in his hands with his tremendous management and for 5 years till 2005 and then Rabri Devi became the Chief Minister of the state.
In the Bihar Assembly elections held in the year 2020, RJD had contested the elections by forming a grand alliance with Congress and Left parties. Overall, this grand alliance had won 110 out of 243 seats. But the RJD alliance could not complete the figure of 122 for majority. Whereas in Bihar Assembly elections, RJD emerged as the largest party with 75 MLAs.
party support
The RJD party’s support base has traditionally been Other Backward Classes, Muslims and Dalits. He is considered the political champion of the lower castes. The ideology of the party is socialist and secular.