Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is set to celebrate its 29th foundation day on July 5 by observing it as ‘Sankalp Diwas’ (Day of Resolve), with party leaders and workers expected to pledge to intensify their campaign on key public issues ahead of the upcoming political season.
Before the statewide celebrations, the party will hold a strategy meeting in Patna on July 1, where RJD national working president Tejashwi Yadav is expected to address party workers and outline the opposition’s roadmap against the Bihar government led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
According to party leaders, the RJD plans to focus its public outreach on four major issues—alleged corruption in the Rishu Shri tender case, examination paper leaks and unemployment, the Bharat Tiwari encounter, and rising inflation coupled with land allotment policies.
Focus on Alleged Tender Scam
The party intends to highlight what it describes as financial mismanagement by the state government, with the alleged Rishu Shri tender scam expected to feature prominently in its campaign.
RJD MP Sudhakar Singh has publicly alleged irregularities involving senior bureaucrats, including former bureaucrat Anand Kishore, and claimed to possess evidence supporting the allegations. The government has not publicly responded to these claims.
Tejashwi Yadav has also accused the government of struggling to pay salaries on time and has linked the alleged scam to broader questions of governance.
Jobs and Paper Leak Issue
Employment and examination paper leaks are expected to be another key plank of the RJD’s campaign.
The party plans to raise concerns over alleged question paper leaks in examinations such as NEET and BPSC recruitment tests, arguing that such incidents have affected the future of thousands of young aspirants.
Tejashwi, who had made employment a central issue during the 2020 Assembly elections, is expected to renew his attack on the government over jobs and recruitment.
Bharat Tiwari Encounter
The RJD also plans to target the government over law and order, with the Bharat Tiwari police encounter expected to become a major political issue.
The party has questioned the circumstances surrounding the encounter and has raised concerns over recent police actions in Bihar. Tejashwi has previously alleged that incidents of murder, robbery and crimes against women have increased under the present administration.
The Bihar government has maintained that law and order remains under control and has not accepted the opposition’s allegations.
Inflation and Land Policy
The opposition party also plans to campaign on rising prices of fuel and essential commodities, alleging that inflation has placed an increasing burden on ordinary citizens.
Additionally, the RJD has announced that it will question the government’s land allotment policy, alleging that large tracts of land are being provided to corporate entities at highly concessional rates while farmers face land acquisition for development projects.
RJD MP Sudhakar Singh said the party would launch movements on farmers’ issues, alleging that agricultural land was being acquired for township projects and industrial purposes.
State RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan also accused the government of promoting policies that, according to the party, favour private interests over farmers.
Organisational Expansion
Alongside its political campaign, the RJD is preparing an organisational strengthening drive aimed at expanding its support base, particularly among the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), a section traditionally considered influential in Bihar’s electoral politics.
Party leaders said the campaign would seek to consolidate the RJD’s traditional voter base while reaching out to new social groups through grassroots mobilisation.
Party Looks to Rebuild After Electoral Setbacks
Founded by Lalu Prasad Yadav on July 5, 1997, the RJD is approaching its 29th anniversary at a time when it is attempting to recover from recent political setbacks.
The party suffered a disappointing performance in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections and has also faced internal challenges, including the expulsion of Tej Pratap Yadav from the party and family following public disagreements. The RJD also lost its candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha elections after cross-voting by some legislators.
Despite these setbacks, party leaders say the foundation day celebrations will mark the beginning of a renewed effort to strengthen the organisation and position the RJD as the principal opposition force in Bihar ahead of future political battles.
