PATNA: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday appointed Tejashwi Yadav as its National Working President, marking a general shift in the Lalu Yadav-led party’s leadership. RJD boss Lalu Yadav handed over an appointment letter to Tejashwi in the presence of senior leaders during the national executive meeting in Patna. Lalu’s wife and Tejashwi’s mother, Rabri Devi, was also present during the event.
“Dawn of a New Era! Shri @yadavtejashwi Ji has been appointed as the National Executive President of Rashtriya Janata Dal!,” the party said on X.
Tejashwi’s elevation to the newly created post of national working president comes in the wake of RJD’s poor performance in last year’s Assembly elections. RJD, which contested the polls with the Congress, won just 25 of the 143 seats.
The development also comes amid the ongoing tensions with the Yadav family. Lalu and Rabri Devi have already disowned their elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, who has since formed his own party. After the Assembly poll debacle, Lalu’s daughter Rohini Acharya had levelled serious allegations of assault against Tejashwi.
Ahead of today’s meeting, Acharya called the party’s situation ‘dire and worrisome’, saying that those presently at the helm must be held accountable.
Acharya said that anyone who truly represents “Laluvad” in its real sense would inevitably raise questions about the party’s present state and speak out against those responsible, regardless of the consequences.
“Whoever truly embodies Laluvad in the true sense — anyone who has selflessly struggled for the party that Lalu Ji founded to steadfastly fight for the interests of the marginalised population, the deprived; whoever takes pride in Lalu Ji’s continuous struggle and efforts for socio-economic justice; whoever cares to proudly carry forward Lalu Ji’s political legacy and ideology — such a person will undoubtedly question those responsible for the party’s current dire state and raise their voice against the dubious and suspect roles of such people, without caring for the consequences,” she wrote.
She alleged that the real control of the party had slipped into the hands of “infiltrators and conspirators” planted by political opponents.
“The bitter, worrisome, and heartbreaking truth of the present is this: Today, the real command of the party — known for fighting for the rights and entitlements of the people — lies in the hands of those infiltrators and conspirators sent by fascist opponents, who were dispatched with the task of utterly destroying Laluvad; such people, having entrenched themselves, seem to be succeeding to a great extent in their dirty motives,” she said.
Without directly naming Tejashwi, Acharya strongly criticized the current leadership style of functions. She said that those at the helm of the party should introspect instead of avoiding questions or creating confusion.
The one currently shouldering the responsibility of leadership will have to look at one’s own faults or shortcomings — rather than fleeing from questions, evading questions, shirking from giving answers, spreading confusion instead of logical and factual responses, and resorting to misconduct, rude behaviour, and uncivil language toward those who speak for Laluvad and the party’s interests — and if ‘he’ maintains silence, then the charge and accusation of complicity with the gang plotting against him stands automatically proven,” she added.
Agencies