Buzz about Tejashwi’s elevation, Jagdanand’s exit in RJD shake-up
PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad’s younger son and his heir apparent Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, 31, is likely to be made the acting national president of the party, according to party leaders familiar with the development.
Tejashwi, who is the leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly, is currently in New Delhi, along with RJD’s state unit president Jagdanand Singh to meet the ailing party chief, who has been recuperating at his daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti’s residence ever since he was granted bail in fodder scam cases in April this year and subsequently discharged from AIIMS Delhi, where he was being treated for various ailments.
Singh is said to be a trusted aide of Lalu Prasad. On November 22, 2017, a month before RJD chief Lalu Prasad was incarcerated in fodder scam cases, it was Singh who had proposed Tejashwi Yadav’s name as the party’s chief ministerial candidate.
For the record, Singh maintained he was in Delhi just to enquire about Lalu Prasad’s health and other party matters. “I do not know from where these reports of Tejashwi becoming acting national president are coming from. But if something happens, you all will all know,” he said on phone on Tuesday.
Party’s top leaders said elevating Tejashwi Yadav as acting national president would not be difficult as such powers are vested with the RJD’s national president, as per the party’s constitution.
“Though there is no such post as acting national president in the party’s constitution, the RJD national president can do it by exercising his powers. But any such decision would have to be approved by the national executive,” said RJD leader and former MLA Bhola Yadav. He, however, said he did not have any knowledge about any such move.
Speculation is also rife that Singh, who has been holding the post since November 2019, is likely to step down as state unit president.
Lalu Yadav’s elder son and MLA Tej Pratap Yadav, while speaking on RJD’s 25th foundation day, had taken a swipe at “Jagdanand uncle”, saying he also seemed angry with him.
Meanwhile, BJP’s state spokesperson Nikhil Anand on Tuesday said Tejashwi Yadav becoming the acting national president of RJD was on predictable lines, given the party believed in “family rule”.
“RJD is a party run by a single family. But Tejashwi Yadav’s elevation will be injustice to his elder siblings, Misa Bharti and Tej Pratap, who had a rightful claim on the RJD’s chief legacy,” he said.