RJD considers second generation leaders for ticket distribution

Apart from the first family of the RJD, Lalu Prasad’s party has made efforts to accommodate the second generation of its senior leaders in ticket distribution ahead of the upcoming assembly election. It has given party tickets to sons, daughters, wives and brothers of several senior leaders.

Even before the list of candidates was announced, the RJD had communicated its candidates and distributed party symbols for timely nomination for the first phase of the election.

Sons of three senior leaders – Jagdanand Singh, Shivanand Tiwari and Kanti Singh – have been given tickets from the party for the first time. Sudhakar Kumar Singh, son of Jagdanand Singh, has been given a ticket from Ramgarh assembly seat. Similarly, the party has fielded Rishi Singh, son of former Union minister Kanti Singh, from Obra seat, and Shivanand Tiwari’s son Rahul Tiwari has got a ticket from Shahpur.


Divya Prakash, daughter of former Union minister Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav, has been given a ticket from Tarapur assembly constituency. Barring Rahul Tiwari, all others are contesting election for the first time.

Not only children but wives and brothers of leaders have also got tickets from the RJD. The wives of two MLAs facing rape allegations have found a place in the party’s candidate list. Vibha Devi, wife of jailed RJD leader Raj Ballabh Yadav, has been fielded from Nawada seat. Yadav had won this seat in 2015 and is currently in jail on rape charges. Kiran Devi, wife of Sandesh MLA Arun Yadav, has been given a ticket from the seat this time. Arun Yadav is on the run ever since his name appeared in a rape case.

In addition, Vijay Prakash, the brother of Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav, has been given a ticket from Jamui assembly seat.

More family names could come up in the list of candidates for subsequent phases, said people aware of the matter.