Tejashwi Yadav appointed as new National Working President of Rashtriya Janata Dal

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has been appointed as the National Working President of Rashtriya Janata Dal

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday formally elevated former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav as its national working president, signalling a generational shift in the party’s leadership as it seeks to consolidate its position in Bihar’s highly charged political landscape.

The appointment was announced at the inaugural session of the RJD’s national executive meeting, where party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav handed over the appointment letter to his younger son in the presence of senior leaders. Former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi were both present at the event.

Notably, the RJD did not previously have the post of a national working president. The creation of the role and Tejashwi Yadav’s elevation mark a significant structural change in the party’s organisational framework, effectively formalising his authority over organisational and day-to-day affairs.

“Dawn of a New Era! Shri Tejashwi Yadav Ji has been appointed as the National Executive President of Rashtriya Janata Dal,” the party said in a post on its official X handle.

The move is expected to further strengthen the position of the 36-year-old leader, who has long been viewed as the party’s de facto heir despite having an elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav. Tej Pratap was expelled from the party by Lalu Prasad Yadav several months ago.

The leadership reshuffle comes against the backdrop of visible tensions within the Yadav family. In recent months, Tejashwi Yadav’s siblings, including Tej Pratap Yadav and elder sister Rohini Acharya, have made public remarks pointing to internal discord within both the family and the party. Acharya recently made oblique comments criticising Tejashwi Yadav over the RJD’s poor performance in the October–November Assembly elections last year.

Despite the turbulence, Tejashwi Yadav has emerged as the central figure tasked with carrying forward the legacy of one of Bihar’s most influential political families. A former cricketer who was once part of the Delhi Daredevils squad in the Indian Premier League, he entered active politics at a young age and has steadily built his profile.

Under his leadership, the RJD emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and briefly shared power in the state government alongside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

With his formal elevation, the party has now given institutional backing to what had long been a political reality, placing Tejashwi Yadav firmly at the helm as it prepares for future electoral battles.

(With ANI inputs)