Patna: Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav Tuesday helped RJD state unit president Jagdanand Singh bury the hatchet with the party. It was visible today when Tejashwi took Jagdanand to the party office located at Beer Chand Patel Path. Singh turned up at the party office after a gap of 58 days.
Tejashwi was holding the hand of Jagdanand Singh while entering the party office. Interestingly, the RJD state president reached the party office in Tejashwi's vehicle. Jagdanand showed his old style, asking the security guards now to allow anyone in the chamber.
Both Tejashwi and Jagdanand entered the chamber together. After a few minutes, Jagdanand came out and started roaming around the office, however, he refused to speak to the media.
Jagdanand, the senior-most leader in the party was somewhat disappointed with the way his son Sudhakar had to resign from the post of agriculture minister following the allegation of corruption Sudhakar leveled against his department.
His anger was evident from the fact that he did not even attend the RJD national convention which was held in Delhi a month back. Singh used to sit in the party office every day but ever since the episode of his son's resignation took place, he has stopped coming to the party office.
For the past 58 days, a lot of rumours have spread about Jagdanand in Bihar's political corridor including his resignation from the party and Lalu choosing a new state president. However, Jagdanand met Lalu Yadav in Delhi earlier this week before the latter flew to Singapore for a kidney transplant.
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Sources in the RJD said that it was Lalu who requested Jagdanand to resume work at the party office and forget what happened in the past. During the meeting with Lalu, the deputy CM was also present. Lalu was bound to take this decision because the party leadership could not afford to lose Singh, especially after the Raghuvansh Prasad Singh episode.
When Lalu was at his helm in Bihar politics, Jagdanand was his most trusted lieutenant and that was the reason when Lalu went to jail in a fodder scam case he had categorically asked Jagdanand Singh to guide Rabri Devi in her decision-making.
Asked about Jagadanand's grievances, Tejashwi was quick to respond: “You people don't know Jagdanand Singh much. There was nothing as such which you people were assuming. There is no use in talking about it issue because it is not relevant at all. We had a fruitful discussion on the issue of the organisation and the upcoming by-poll on Kurahani seat. I am going to Kurahani along with JDU national president Lalan Singh ji and HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi ji to campaign there.”
The closed-door meeting between Tejashwi and Jagdanan lasted for one and a half hours. Patna-based political expert Dr Sanjay Kumar told ETV Bharat that Jagdanand Singh was a necessity for the RJD and the party cannot afford to lose him.
“Jagdanand is a big face in RJD and Tejashwi always talks about A to Z and it should reflect in reality as well. When Jagdanand would be with RJD then it would be visible otherwise it would remain MY (read Muslim-Yadav) party. The kind of loyalty Raghuvansh Babu and Jagdanand has shown to RJD is unprecedented. Party has already lost Raghuvansh babu and RJD cannot afford to lose the second big face of the Rajput community. RJD has this apprehension that if the party dumps Jagdanand then a big chunk of upper caste voters will get upset," Dr Sanjay said.
He further said, “Jagda Babu is a necessity of RJD because they do not want A to Z people only on paper but in reality as well. On one hand young face in the form of Tejaswi and on the other hand guidance of seniors in the form of Jagda Babu. This will send a big message to RJD's voters.”
