To keep the Kushwaha vote bank intact, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday (September 5, 2024) said the party will give “adequate number of tickets” to leaders from the Kushwaha community in the Bihar Assembly election next year. The Kushwahas are the second-largest bloc among the Other Backward Classes after the Yadavs in Bihar and make up 4.2% of the State’s population.
Mr. Yadav said the RJD has given “proper respect and maximum tickets” to the community during the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
“I want to assure you that Lalu ji, I and the RJD will always stand by your community. There is no question of not getting proper representation for the Kushwaha community in the society,” Mr. Yadav said at a function honouring the legacy of the late socialist leader Jagdeo Prasad.
“In the last Lok Sabha election, we had promised that the Kushwaha community would be given respect, and we fulfilled that. You all can trust that in the next Assembly election, RJD will give adequate tickets to the community,” Mr. Yadav said in the presence of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
In the Lok Sabha election, 11 Kushwaha candidates were fielded by the INDIA bloc and NDA, but only four won. The INDIA bloc gave tickets to seven candidates from the community.
Mr. Yadav said “one can understand the respect the RJD has towards the community” after it made Abhay Kushwaha, who was earlier with the Janata Dal (United) but switched sides before the Lok Sabha election, the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha. The former Deputy Chief Minister also demanded Bharat Ratna for Jagdeo Prasad.
Mr. Yadav said the RJD has “never compromised with anyone” on social justice and secularism. “Lalu Prasad ji always stood against the ideology of BJP and opposed their policies to fight for the rights of the underprivileged. Those who create differences in the society were forced to kneel down,” he said.
Mr. Prasad reiterated that the nationwide caste census would be conducted “by holding the ears of the BJP and the RSS”.
“Our party is committed to social justice and secularism and we have always fought to spread the ideas of Ram Manohar Lohia, Karpoori Thakur and Jagdeo Prasad. A true tribute to Jagdeo babu can be possible only when we remain united to carry forward his ideas,” Mr. Prasad said.
Published - September 05, 2024 07:53 pm IST
