RJD candidate withdraws symbol after Tejashwi Yadav returns
In a dramatic political twist of the night, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders who entered Lalu Prasad Yadav’s election symbol were asked to return their symbols after a few hours. The unexpected change came soon after Tejashwi Yadav returned to Patna from Delhi, prompting a strategic change within the party. A crowd gathered outside Lalu’s residence as confusion spread among hopeful campaigners. Waiting for clarity.
According to party spokespersons, several campaigners, including Sunil Singh and Narendra Kumar Singh alias Bogo, had originally written their blessing letters in non-heroic envelopes. But they were returned later that night. Although no authorized reason was given, some leaders suggested a last-nanosecond reshuffle after Tejashwi’s appearance. Meanwhile, others have dismissed the controversy, claiming that the viral images were “created by artificial intelligence”.
The withdrawal comes as the seat-sharing agenda within the grand alliance is still undecided. RJD’s supporters – Congress, Left parties, Mukesh Sahni’s superstar, JMM and RLJP – are all fighting for a favourable seat-sharing. With the deadline for filing nominations for the two-phase polls on October 17 and 20 approaching, the alliance is facing additional pressure to finalise campaigners ahead of the Bihar polls on November 6 and 11.
Lalu Yadav in IRCTC violin case, fresh blow to family
Adding to the RJD’s woes, a Delhi court has framed charges of corruption and conspiracy against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC hostel violin case. The court has argued that Lalu misused his position as Union Railway Minister by overseeing the tender for leasing IRCTC hospices in Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hospice, in return for degrading his family’s land.
Court calls Lalu ‘source of conspiracy’
Special judge Vishal Gogne said that Lalu Prasad Yadav was the “source of conspiracy”, convicting him for influencing the eligibility criteria for Sujata Dharamshala. The court ruled that Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav were active in the design, acquiring the land through transfers. The three accused were not shamefully convicted, paving the way for a full trial under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CBI’s chain of evidence strengthens case against RJD leaders
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has presented a detailed evidence related to the tender process related to the transfer of degraded land. The investigators have claimed that land worth crores of rupees was transferred to companies linked to the Yadav family for a fraction of its asking price. According to the CBI, this has caused significant financial loss to the state bank and has established a clear case of serious misconduct and betrayal.
The court’s decision comes at a sensitive time for the RJD, just weeks before the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. When the grand alliance is failing to manage internal cooperation, corruption allegations can affect the perception of the name-bearers and their religious crusade. Meanwhile, Lalu Yadav has maintained his innocence amid mounting political pressure in the Bihar electoral arena, calling the case politically motivated.
A Delhi court has said that Lalu, Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are facing a double whammy as they withdrew the symbol hours after it was distributed, consistent with the framework of the corruption allegations in the IRCTC case. A few weeks before the Bihar assembly elections, dramatic events took place, which increased the political heat within the grand alliance.
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