Daijiworld Media Network - Patna

Patna, Jan 25: Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, was on Sunday appointed as the working president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in view of party chief Lalu Prasad’s deteriorating health, party leaders said.

The decision was taken at the RJD’s national executive meeting held at a hotel in Patna and marks a significant organisational shift within the party.

Bihar RJD president Mangani Lal Mandal formally announced Tejashwi’s elevation, stating that there was a broad consensus among senior leaders that he should take on greater organisational responsibility.

The meeting was attended by top party functionaries, including Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Misha Bharti and other senior leaders.

Party leaders said Tejashwi’s appointment comes at a crucial juncture, as Lalu Prasad has been advised by doctors to rest and avoid stress, limiting his role in active politics. In such circumstances, the appointment of a working president was considered necessary to ensure smooth day-to-day functioning of the organisation.

Founded in 1997 after a split from the Janata Dal, the RJD has been led by Lalu Prasad since its inception. However, with his advancing age and health issues, party sources said the need for a second line of leadership had become increasingly important.

Soon after news of Tejashwi’s appointment became public, internal differences within the party surfaced. His elder brother and former minister Tej Pratap Yadav, sister Rohini Acharya, and party MLA Bhai Birendra blamed Tejashwi and his associates for the party’s poor electoral performance.

Rohini Acharya, in a series of posts on social media platform ‘X’, criticised Tejashwi’s close aides, including RJD MP Sanjay Yadav and former cricketer Rameez Nemat Khan, describing them as “infiltrators” and “conspirators”. She also questioned the party’s current direction and leadership.

Earlier, ahead of the national executive meeting, she had posted that anyone who truly believes in “Laluism” and the party’s ideology of socio-economic justice should question those responsible for the RJD’s present state.

At the RJD national executive meeting held in January last year, both Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi were granted full authority over major party decisions, including matters related to the party’s name and election symbol. The party constitution was also amended to give Tejashwi equal decision-making authority, strengthening his position as Lalu Prasad’s political heir and paving the way for a smooth leadership transition.