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Political Record Rashtriya Janta Dal is a political party in India which has its political base mainly in

Bihar. Laloo Prasad Yadav is its President. This party has remained in power in

Bihar under the Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and then Rabri Devi, who is also Laloo’s wife for more than 13 years. But after the state assembly elections in February 2005,

Bihar came under President’s Rule because no political party could win enough seats to prove its majority in the assembly to form a government. Then new elections brought to power the coalition government of Janta Dal (United) and Bhartiya Janta Party.

History Rashtriya Janta Dal was formed in 1997 when Laloo Yadav broke away from Janta Dal. The mass base of the party has traditionally been some of the backward classes and religious minorities. Laloo’s path to power was catalyzed by the strategic alliance he forged between the poor Yadav caste and the Muslims. He served as the Chief Minister of

Bihar from 1990-1997 but was forced to resign following escalating corruption charges in the fodder scam. There after his wife Rabri Devi became the Chief Minister of

Bihar. It was alleged Laloo continued to act and administer as a real CM with his wife being a ceremonial head. She was the first woman Chief Minister of the state of

Bihar. She as a Chief Minister of

Bihar came under severe sarcastical criticism and stiff opposition, because she was nearly illiterate and had no interest in politics. 

National Party Presently Rashtriya Janta Dal is a partner on the Indian coalition government lead by Congress and its president Laloo Prasad Yadav is the Railway minister in the coalition government. He is currently a Member of Parliament in the 14^th Lok Sabha from the Chhapra constituency. Election Commission on June 24 accorded the national party status to RJD. RJD was being recognized as a state party in

Bihar, Jharkhand and Manipur fulfilled the conditions for recognition as a national party on the basis of its poll performance in the recently held Nagaland elections. The party has the seventh political party to get the national status. Its election symbol is hurricane lamp.

Manifesto RJD has promised to set up a “vikas sena”, besides toning up administrative units to ensure that the benefits of development reach dalits, backwards, minorities and other oppressed sections of society directly in its manifesto.