As Bihar’s political fervor intensifies, a late-night development caused a stir in the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) camp. According to sources, leaders who received party emblems for Monday night’s Assembly elections were called late at night and requested to return the symbols.
After returning from a recent trip to Delhi, RJD chairman Lalu Prasad Yadav discovered a sizable contingent of ticket applicants waiting outside the gates of his home at 10 Circular Road. Following what appeared to be calls from the party leadership, several of the candidates walked inside and came out with yellow envelopes, which represented the party’s poll picks, according to NDTV.
This occurred even though the RJD-led Opposition INDIA Bloc in Bihar was unable to agree on seat-sharing for the next Assembly elections.
Who Were Selected as Candidates for RJD?
With just four days remaining for first-leg candidates to turn in their paperwork, it was unclear how many candidates received the party ticket on the day nominations for the second and final round of voting opened.
The RJD emblems were given to a few notable figures, such as Sunil Singh (Parbatta), who recently left Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), and Narendra Kumar Singh, also known as Bogo, a former Matihani MLA who served multiple terms. Their candidacy was perceived as a component of Tejashwi Yadav’s effort as the chief minister of the RJD to appeal to a segment of the Bhumihars, a significant higher caste that has historically backed the BJP-led NDA.
Waving the party symbol, a number of current RJD MLAs, including Bhai Virendra, Chandrashekhar Yadav (Madhepura), and Israil Mansuri (Kanti), also emerged from the party supremo’s residence.
Why Were Symbols Returned to RJD Leaders?
In a stunning last-minute turn of events, hours after Tejashwi Yadav returned from Delhi and arrived at his Patna home, RJD leaders who had been given the party insignia were requested to return them.
According to reports, party leaders were not given a clear explanation for the leadership’s request that they return the insignia. Some leaders, however, asserted that the images on social media were artificial intelligence (AI)-generated and that no one actually received the emblem.
This occurred when the Mahagathbandhan parties had not yet disclosed their plans for seat-sharing in the next elections. The two main opposition parties, the Congress and the RJD, have reportedly been at odds for a long time. The grand old party has been largely hesitant to announce a chief ministerial candidate for the next elections, even though Lalu Prasad Yadav does not want the Congress to run for more than 54 seats in the 243-seat legislature.
After days of deliberation, the ruling NDA declared on Sunday, October 12, that it would share seats. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and the BJP will each run for 101 seats, with the remaining seats going to smaller allies.
In Bihar, the first round of voting will be held on November 6 and the second round on November 11. On November 14, the votes will be counted.
