Poll Symbols Given To RJD Leaders By Lalu Yadav Recalled After Tejashwi Returns

In a surprise late-night development that has created a flutter in Bihar's political circles, leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who were given party symbols for the Assembly polls yesterday evening, were recalled late at night and asked to return the symbols.

Party patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, who returned from Delhi yesterday, reached home to find a crowd of poll ticket aspirants outside the gates. Then some of the aspirants, who apparently received calls from the party leadership, went inside. Minutes later, they emerged with yellow envelopes in their hands. The envelope, it is learnt, contained documents endorsing the candidate as the party's poll pick.

Hours later, the Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial face, Tejashwi Yadav, reached his Patna residence after returning from Delhi. Shortly after, all the RJD leaders who got symbols that evening received a phone call and were asked to visit the leader's home and return the symbols. Late-night visuals show a large crowd outside Lalu Yadav's home.

Party leaders say they have not been clearly told why the leadership asked them to return the symbols. Some leaders, such as Ashraf Fatmi, stressed that nobody was given the symbol and the photos on social media are "AI-generated".

Among those who got the symbol in the evening and had to return it at night are Sunil Singh, who quit Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) last week, and Narendra Kumar Singh alias Bogo, a former MLA.

The dramatic developments come at a time when the parties in the Mahagathbandhan are yet to formally announce their seat-sharing plans and the seats they would contest. RJD's allies include Congress, Left parties, Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and RLJP led by former Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras. All allies are currently bargaining hard for a good seat deal.

Polling in Bihar will be held on November 6 and November 11. Friday (October 17) is the last day of filing nominations for the first phase. For the second phase, the last day of filing nominations is October 20. Results will be declared on November 14.