Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has been unanimously re-elected as the party’s national president till 2028. The announcement was made during the RJD’s national executive meeting held in Patna on Saturday, where senior leaders, including Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, were present.
Addressing party workers, the RJD supremo expressed gratitude for the continued faith reposed in him. “You people have shown faith in me, and we will not let that faith waver,” Lalu told the gathering.
He praised his younger son and Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, for being “engaged day and night” in party affairs. “Tejashwi looks at everything closely. We have put him forward. He has to be given responsibility in the coming elections,” Lalu said. “We may be unwell, but we constantly check with Tejashwi about what is happening in the field,” he added.
The veteran leader also thanked former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, calling her the backbone of both the family and the party.
For the first time, Rabri Devi broke her silence on the much-speculated family rift between her sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav. In a candid remark, she said, “What will happen if we speak? There is division in every family.” Her statement, though brief, was widely seen as an acknowledgment of the internal discord that has surfaced within the Yadav family after Tej Pratap’s alleged relation with Anushka Yadav despite an ongoing divorce petition with Aishwarya Rai.
Taking over the dais, Tejashwi delivered a fiery speech, signalling the beginning of the RJD’s campaign for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. “We have to bring about a revolution. The party will give tickets to those who are on the ground and working for the people,” he said.
In a sharp attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi remarked, “We are very concerned about the Chief Minister’s health. After a certain age, one should consider stepping down. What has Amit Shah turned him into?” He also launched a slogan aimed at the CM: “2005 to 25, enough Nitish.”
Tejashwi didn’t spare Prime Minister Narendra Modi either. “Modi ji frequently visits Bihar, but what has he done for the state? Every time he comes, Rs 100 crore is spent,” he alleged.
Taking a dig at JD (U) Minister Ashok Chaudhary, he quipped, “How did a JDU minister become a professor? Has anyone seen him taking exams or giving interviews?”
