After losing core vote in Bankipur, Tejashwi dissolves all party units

Since 1995, the RJD has never won the Bankipur Assembly seat. Therefore, losing the by-poll was never an issue. However, this is the first time the RJD’s core Muslim-Yadav (MY) vote has deserted the party and gone with Jan Suraaj candidate Prashant Kishor.

This is a wake-up call for a party that has been trying to get into power for more than 20 years and has always claimed a base of 30% votes among minority and Yadav communities. In the 2025 Assembly elections, the RJD won 25 seats, down from 75 in 2020.

Amid the free fall, party leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday dissolved all RJD units in the state, hinting at the appointment of a new team.

However, the defeat has triggered infighting within the party, with leaders accusing each other of sabotaging the campaign. Senior RJD leader Bhai Virendra has accused party spokesperson Shakti Yadav of cornering party leader Tejashwi Yadav and not allowing workers to meet him.

Even the Congress, an ally of the RJD, is maintaining a distance from the party in the state. Several leaders, however, have also blamed Tejashwi himself for the party’s lacklustre performance.
When nominations for Bankipur were underway, Yadav was holidaying in Europe with his family.