The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Bihar’s single largest party, has announced candidates for 143 Assembly seats, with the list reflecting Tejashwi Yadav’s growing command and strategic influence. Since taking charge from his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi has been steering the party toward a broader social and developmental agenda aimed at reshaping RJD’s traditional image.
Once targeted by the opposition’s “Jungle Raj” narrative, the RJD is now projecting itself as a progressive force centered on socio-economic growth, strict law enforcement, and job creation. Tejashwi’s campaign focuses on inclusivity, with slogans like “A to Z” and “BAAP”, representing Bahujan (backwards and Dalits), Agada (forwards), Aadhi Aabadi (women), Pichda, and the poor, underscoring his attempt to diversify RJD’s support base beyond its traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) bloc.
Despite his inclusive overtures, Tejashwi continues to rely heavily on the Muslim-Yadav combination. Out of the 143 tickets, 52 have been given to Yadav candidates and 18 to Muslim. Together, these 70 candidates represent nearly half of RJD’s total fielded contenders.
Outreach to Upper Castes and Women
In a notable shift, the RJD has allocated 16 tickets to upper-caste candidates, including 7 Rajputs, 6 Bhumihars, and 3 Brahmins, including Shivani Shukla, Rahul Sharma, and Veena Devi are seen as efforts to attract the Bhumihar community, whose support proved crucial in the previous election for the Mahagathbandhan. The party has also prioritised gender representation, fielding 24 women candidates across categories.
Meanwhile, the RJD has nominated 13 candidates from the Kushwaha community to attract their voters.
Opposition party in the state also fielded 21 candidates from Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), including Bima Bharti, Ajay Dangi, Anita Devi, Bharat Bhushan Mandal, Arvind Sahni, Dev Chaurasia, and Vipin Nonia. The appointment of Mangani Lal Mandal as RJD’s state president further signals the party’s bid to consolidate Bihar’s sizable 36% EBC voter base.
Strong Focus On Reserved Constituencies
The RJD’s list also includes 21 reserved seats, 20 for Scheduled Castes (SC) and one for Scheduled Tribes (ST). Within the SC segment, candidates from the Ravidas, Paswan, and Pasi communities have received significant representation. Political analysts note that the Pasi community’s discontent with the NDA’s liquor prohibition policy could benefit the RJD in several constituencies.
Through this carefully calculated distribution of tickets, Tejashwi Yadav has sought to translate the RJD’s “A to Z” and “BAAP” slogans into a tangible, inclusive strategy.
