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    Tejashwi Yadav to launch 'Berozgari Hatao Padyatra' from February 23

    Synopsis

    Following its poor performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, RJD has been struggling to present Tejashwi as an alternative to the Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the state politics. RJD’s problem is that there were signs of cracks in its support base among the Yadav voters in the 2019 LS elections, apart from its failure to woo the most backward caste (MBC) voters.

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    Tejashwi Yadav
    NEW DELHI: More than seven months ahead of the state assembly, Rashtriya Janata Dal’s face in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav is looking for fresh opportunities to expand his party’s social base through a “Berozgari Hatao Padyatra” beginning February 23.

    RJD founder and former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son Tejashwi, who is also leader of the opposition in the state assembly, plans to cover almost every sub-division of the state during his state-wide tour . Following its poor performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, RJD has been struggling to present Tejashwi as an alternative to the Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the state politics. RJD’s problem is that there were signs of cracks in its support base among the Yadav voters in the 2019 LS elections, apart from its failure to woo the most backward caste (MBC) voters.

    In the meantime, Communist Party of India leader and former JNSU president Kanhaiya Kumar is already touring across the state in an apparently bid to polarise anti-BJP voters.

    “We deliberately selected unemployment as a political issue for us to highlight in the coming assembly polls. RJD can’t return to power without expanding its social base among the MBC and SC voters in the state. So, the ‘Berozgari Hatao Padyatra’ will help Tejashwi connect directly with youths at the ground level,” a source in RJD told ET. Sources in RJD said Tejashwi needs to interact with the party’s ground level workers during his visit in different parts of the state. “Although Tejashwi drew crowds during the 2019 LS polls, it did not translate into votes. So, the idea is to enable Tejashwi to interact with young party workers at ground level through this Padyatra ahead of the assembly polls,” the source explained.

    RJD’s general secretary and former minister Alok Mehta said it is wrong to describe the RJD as a party with only “Muslim & Yadav” (MY) support base. “This is a false propaganda spread by our rivals against RJD as a party with only MY support base. RJD national president ensured social justice for all deprived sections of the society,” Mehta said.


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