Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday kicked off the ‘Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar while highlighting issues like unemployment, women’s rights, safety, and the need to improve health and education in the state. The rally started in Jehanabad and will continue till September 20, ending in Vaishali. Along the way, Yadav will also cover Begusarai, Khagaria, and Madhepura districts.
The RJD leader had earlier said that this march is taking place in districts that were left out during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra. RJD MP Sanjay Yadav said that workers from these areas had expressed their concerns, after which Tejashwi decided to begin a new march. He added that the aim of the Yatra is to create a new Bihar with more jobs, stronger industries, better healthcare, and improved education.
Why is Tejashwai’s ‘Bihar Adhikar Yatra’ significant?
The Yatra comes at a time when there is speculation over who will be projected as the Chief Minister face of the INDIA bloc in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. Sanjay Yadav said Tejashwi enjoys wide support across the state and cannot step back even if he wanted to. He also mentioned that talks on seat sharing with allies are ongoing smoothly.
Earlier in the day, Tejashwi Yadav said the RJD’s goal is to form a government free of corruption and crime. He stressed that this journey is not just his but represents the hopes of unemployed youth who want a better and more developed Bihar.
BJP’s response
Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh criticised the march, saying Tejashwi should take his father, former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, on a trip across Bihar to witness the development under the NDA government.
Singh claimed that Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has brought major improvements in infrastructure like roads and electricity, which were ignored during Lalu Yadav’s rule.
The political battle ahead
Bihar is preparing for a tough contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition’s INDIA bloc.
Currently, the NDA holds 131 seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. The BJP has 80 MLAs, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and 2 Independents. On the other side, the INDIA bloc has 111 seats, with RJD holding the largest share of 77, Congress with 19, CPI(ML) 11, and CPI(M) and CPI with 2 seats each.