RJD bets on EBC card with Mandal ahead of Bihar polls

As Bihar inches towards the next round of assembly polls, the main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has appointed Mangani Lal Mandal as the new state president, a move replete with caste calculations in mind.

For one, Mandal, replaces 80-year-old Jagadanand Singh, a veteran forward caste leader. Mandal comes from the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), which constitutes 36 per cent of the state’s population. He is the first person from this sizeable demographic bloc to head a major political party in the state. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav termed it as historic.

For the party which has been waiting to return to power in the last two decades, the move serves multiple objectives. It allows the party to deepen its outreach among EBCs, which have been supporting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and even the BJP claims their support.

By positioning Mandal, who once served as the national vice-president of the JD(U), RJD is not only attempting to reclaim this voter base but may be looking for newer avenues if Nitish Kumar bows out in the coming years. The RJD has previously appointed leaders from Dalits, OBC, Muslim and upper caste communities to the post of state president, Mandal is the first from the EBC community.

The message is clear: the RJD is trying to get the caste calculus right. It has a hold over the Muslim and Yadav vote banks but needs more in their kitty if they want their dream of coming to power to fructify. This will also act as a counter to the BJP's narrative of welfarism and Hindutva. 

Moreover, the BJP has tried to take away the key issue of the Opposition parties by announcing that it will conduct the caste census at the national level.

A former MP from Jhanjharpur, Mandal brings both electoral experience and regional influence, especially in the politically significant Mithila-Kosi belt.

In his first remarks after the announcement, Mandal reiterated his commitment to uniting all marginalised sections — Dalits, tribals, minorities, and backward classes — through the party’s platform. He also called upon party workers to intensify grassroots engagement and propagate Tejashwi’s message across villages and towns.

After Mandal’s election, the RJD will move towards picking up its national president. Here the party will repose its faith in incumbent Lalu Prasad Yadav so that the party’s message does not get diluted if a change was made just ahead of the polls. Yadav’s son, Tejashwi will continue to be the chief ministerial candidate.

India