Patna: At 10 Circular Road, the familiar residence that doubles as the nerve centre of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Bihar election machinery is already humming. While the Grand Alliance is yet to formally announce its seat-sharing arrangement, Lalu Prasad’s party has moved into action — issuing quiet calls to candidates to collect their election symbols.
Party insiders say over 50 prospective candidates have been asked to reach the residence of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi with verified copies of the voter list. The process, which began late Friday evening, underscores the RJD’s confidence in leading the coalition and its readiness to hit the ground running as nominations open for the first phase of polling on November 6.
“The message from the top is clear — there’s no time to wait for formality. We are moving ahead with candidates who can win,” a senior RJD functionary told PatnaPress.
Lalu back in command
A day after the RJD’s Parliamentary Board authorised the leadership to decide candidates, Lalu Prasad chaired a high-level meeting lasting nearly three hours at his Circular Road residence on Saturday. The closed-door session was attended by Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, State President Mangani Lal Mandal, and senior leaders Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Sanjay Yadav, and Bhola Yadav.
According to party sources, Lalu personally vetted each constituency and sought inputs from district units before finalising the first list of candidates late in the evening. In his trademark style, he ended the meeting by signing off on the first batch of symbol letters — a symbolic act that signalled the beginning of RJD’s campaign.
Tough love for incumbents
In what insiders describe as a “ruthlessly pragmatic” approach, the RJD has decided to deny tickets to several sitting MLAs perceived to be underperforming. “Only winnability matters this time,” said a senior leader present at the meeting.
The party’s internal assessment suggests that more than a dozen incumbents are likely to be replaced. The emphasis, party insiders say, is on candidates who have maintained strong local connect and visibility since 2020 — a reflection of Tejashwi Yadav’s data-driven approach to ticket distribution.
Dual focus: court and coalition
Even as the RJD accelerates its candidate selection, Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav are scheduled to leave for Delhi on Sunday. The move, however, has dual significance.
On one hand, they are required to appear before the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the IRCTC hotel scam case, where charges are expected to be framed on October 13. On the other, the trip is also being viewed as a strategic political visit, as Tejashwi is expected to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to iron out remaining disagreements over seat-sharing.
“The meeting between Rahul and Tejashwi could seal the final contours of the Grand Alliance,” a Congress insider confirmed, suggesting that the announcement could come by Monday or Tuesday.
