Ahead of Bihar polls, RJD authorises Tejashwi Yadav to take key decisions of party

Tejashwi Yadav, after the resolution was passed, said: 'The trust that everyone has shown in me and the responsibilities that have been given to me are big. I will perform as per the expectations of the party leaders.'

Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Saturday authorised Tejashwi Yadav to take calls related to the party's strategy ahead of the Bihar assembly elections later this year.

According to a resolution passed during RJD's national executive committee meeting here, it was decided that Yadav can take decisions related to the party's internal matters, party tickets, among other issues.

The meeting was attended by the party's senior leaders including MPs, MLAs, MLCs along with Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and eldest daughter Misa Bharti.

Talking to reporters after the national executive meeting, Tejashwi Yadav said, "The trust that everyone has shown in me and the responsibilities that have been given to me are big. I will perform as per the expectations of the party leaders.

"It is only when the party organisation is strong, accountable, lives up to the expectations of the people, we will be able to win elections and serve the people of the state. We will win the coming assembly polls in Bihar. We have to make a new Bihar... a developed state... we have to take everyone along. We will soon intensify our membership drive." He said the party has a vision and a blueprint for progress and overall development of the state.

"All sections will be taken care of when we form the government. The work that we did in 17 months, could not be done in the last 18 years," Yadav said.

"Now, the top priority of the party will be our organisational elections. It will be held from panchayats, mandals, zilas to the top level of the party. An open convention of the party will be held on July 5 at Bapu Sabhagar here after completion of the organisational polls," he said.

Yadav slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for claiming that sartorial tastes of women in the state improved after he assumed power two decades ago. Kumar made the remark earlier in the day while he was in Begusarai district as part of the state-wide 'Pragati Yatra.'

Yadav said the CM needed to remember that "he is the chief minister and not a women's fashion designer. It is not that the daughters of Bihar earlier did not wear good clothes. They also covered themselves with self-respect (swabhiman) and self-reliance (swavalamban)."

Kumar's statement is a direct insult to women of the state, Yadav said, adding, "The CM is now tired... he is not competent to run the state."

Commenting on Yadav's elevation, senior RJD leader Shakti Singh said, "Tejashwi ji is the leader of the opposition in the state legislature and he has been authorised to take calls on the party's strategy, membership drive, organisational strengthening, and also ground-level movements. He has got equal powers that our national president has."

Talking to reporters after the national executive, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, "In the meeting, detailed discussions were held on how to make the organisation stronger. Our national president Lalu Prasad said now the bugle has been blown. RJD will win and form the government after the assembly polls in the state."