Rashtriya Janata Dal

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD, lit. 'National People's Party') is an Indian political party, mainly based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The party's support base has traditionally been Other Backward Classes, Dalits and Muslims and it is considered a political champion of the lower castes. In 2008, RJD received the status of recognized national level party following its performance in north-eastern states. RJD was derecognised as a national party on 30 July 2010. Leading the Mahagathbandhan alliance with 35 MLAs, it is currently the official opposition in Bihar. RJD is part of Ruling Government in Jharkhand and Kerala with its allies in Mahagathbandhan (Jharkhand) and LDF respectively.

History (1997-2015)

Formation

There was pressure on Lalu Prasad Yadav to resign from Chief minister post within and outside of Janata Dal following being chargesheeted in the Fodder scam. On 5 July 1997, Pappu Yadav, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Mohammad Shahabuddin, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Kanti Singh, Mohammed Taslimuddin and Md Ali Ashraf Fatmi along with seventeen Lok Sabha MPs and eight Rajya Sabha MPs along with supporters gathered at New Delhi formed the new political party, Rashtriya Janata Dal. It was formed as breakaway of Janata Dal. Lalu Prasad was elected as the first president of RJD. It is a centre-left party.

With demands for his resignation continuing to mount, on 25 July, Lalu resigned from his position, but was able to install his wife, Rabri Devi as the new chief minister on the same day.