Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) working president Tejashwi Yadav has announced that the party aims to expand its base beyond Bihar and achieve the national party status. This marks a significant shift from the party's previous stance of avoiding elections in other states to prevent the division of "secular votes."
"Starting from March, we will launch a campaign to strengthen the party. (Party chief and founder) Lalu Prasad made the RJD a dominant force in Bihar, and we must carry forward his legacy while aiming for national party status," said Tejashwi, the former deputy chief minister, during a function in Patna.
"In the future, we will focus on expanding our base not just in Bihar but also in other states, where we had previously refrained from contesting elections to support our allies and prevent the division of secular votes," he added.
Tejashwi Yadav is currently the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, and the RJD is a key member of the INDIA alliance — a coalition of several anti-BJP parties at the national level.
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Since its foundation in 1997 by Lalu Yadav, the RJD has chosen to remain a dominant force in Bihar and has also enjoyed significant influence in Jharkhand, which was formed in 2000 after being carved out of the southern districts of Bihar.
The RJD briefly held the status of a national party between 2008 and 2010, following notable gains in northeastern states. In Bihar, the party currently holds 34 MLAs, and it is part of the ruling alliance in both Jharkhand and Kerala.
However, Tejashwi Yadav's ambitions to expand the party beyond Bihar may face significant challenges. In Bihar itself, the RJD's influence has sharply declined over the years, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making significant inroads into the state's political landscape.
In the first assembly elections following its formation, the RJD won 124 seats. However, in the most recent elections held last year, the party's tally plummeted to just 25 seats. In Jharkhand, while the party holds 4 seats and is part of the ruling alliance, it has not made significant progress. In Kerala, the RJD has a single MLA.
The party has four MPs in the current Lok Sabha. In India, a political party is recognised as a national party by the Election Commission if it meets any of the following three criteria: securing 2 per cent of the total Lok Sabha seats across at least three states, obtaining 6 per cent of the votes in four or more states along with winning four Lok Sabha seats, or being recognised as a State Party in at least four states.
Tejashwi, however, remains optimistic. "Lalu Prasad gave me a big responsibility last month when I was made the national working president of the RJD. With the support of you all, I see no reason why we shall not become a force to reckon with," he said.