In a political season marked by shifting alliances and bold rebranding, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar has taken a decisive turn by putting its young leader, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, at the very center of its campaign. The party’s longtime patriarch, Lalu Prasad, once the face of RJD and an emblematic figure in Bihar politics, has been conspicuously sidelined from posters and rallies. This strategic move comes as the party attempts to shake off the lingering shadows of its past and present a fresh, forward-looking image to voters ahead of the 2025 Bihar assembly elections.
According to The Times of India, the RJD’s new campaign materials are awash with large, vibrant photographs of Tejashwi—Bihar’s self-styled ‘nayak’ or hero—while Lalu Prasad is nowhere to be seen. The posters tout slogans such as ‘Tejashwi-2025-30’, ‘Har vada pura karenge, hamara vada hai’, ‘Tejashwi bharosa hai’, ‘2025: Bihar ladega, Bihar jitega’, ‘Tejashwi sang milkar, badlenge Bihar’, and ‘Bihar ka nayak’. Each phrase hammers home the message that Tejashwi is the party’s new face, the man with the plan, and the one who promises to deliver on his word.
What’s behind this sudden vanishing act by Lalu Prasad? Party insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Times of India that the decision is a calculated effort to neutralize the opposition’s relentless attacks linking RJD to the so-called ‘Jungle Raj’—a term the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) uses to describe the lawlessness and corruption they associate with Lalu’s 15-year rule. “Lalu’s name or his photographs automatically revive the image of ‘Jungle Raj’, providing fodder to the NDA to target the opposition. The momentum created by Tejashwi gets punctured as Lalu appears on the RJD posters. So, the RJD leadership has cleverly planned to keep Lalu out of the poll scene or posters this time,” one RJD leader explained.
While Lalu Prasad is absent from the campaign trail, his wife and former chief minister, Rabri Devi, was spotted lending her support in Raghopur. Lalu himself has not retreated entirely; he remains active on social media, where he continues to take sharp, witty jabs at his political rivals. However, it’s clear that the RJD wants the public’s focus squarely on Tejashwi, hoping to recast the party’s image and blunt the NDA’s criticisms.
This isn’t the first time Tejashwi has been at the center of an electoral contest. In the 2020 assembly elections, he came agonizingly close to forming a government, missing out by just 12 seats and a razor-thin vote gap of 11,150. That narrow defeat appears to have made Tejashwi more vigilant and determined to avoid past mistakes. According to RJD sources, he’s infusing his campaign with a “touch of positivity,” steering clear of the controversies and mudslinging that have often characterized Bihar’s political discourse.
Tejashwi’s campaign promises are ambitious, to say the least. He’s pledged to provide jobs for every family, put an end to outsourcing, and regularize the services of contractual workers in government departments. At every rally, he repeats his signature line: “Just give me a chance, and I will do all in only 20 months what was not done in the past 20 years.” Notably, he never mentions Lalu’s name—a deliberate omission that underscores the party’s intent to distance itself from its controversial past.
Political analysts say this is a high-stakes gamble for the RJD. By sidelining Lalu, the party risks alienating some of its traditional base, for whom the older leader remains a symbol of social justice and empowerment. Yet, the calculation is that the potential gains—especially among younger voters and those wary of the ‘Jungle Raj’ tag—outweigh the risks. The hope is that Tejashwi’s youthful energy and reformist agenda will resonate with a new generation of Biharis eager for change.
Meanwhile, on the national stage, India itself is engaged in a delicate balancing act—though of a very different kind. On October 31, 2025, India and the United States renewed their defense framework agreement, a move that both sides hailed as a step forward in their strategic partnership. US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, after meeting with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Kuala Lumpur, declared on social media, “This advances our defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger.”
The timing of this agreement is telling. Relations between New Delhi and Washington have been strained in recent months, largely due to the United States imposing a hefty 50 percent import tariff on Indian exports—a punitive measure linked in part to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. Yet, despite these economic tensions, defense ties remain robust. Joint military exercises continue apace, and both nations are working to finalize a broader trade agreement, navigating a complex web of competing interests and geopolitical pressures.
India’s approach to defense procurement reflects this complexity. While the country is keen to deepen its military partnership with the US—tapping into advanced American weapon systems and technology—it remains heavily reliant on Russia for its military supplies. This dependence is not merely a legacy of the Cold War era; it’s a practical necessity, given the scale and composition of India’s armed forces. As analysts quoted by South China Morning Post observe, Delhi’s pursuit of American arms is complicated by its entrenched ties to Moscow. The challenge for Indian policymakers is to maintain a careful equilibrium, ensuring that neither Washington nor Moscow feels sidelined.
“This advances our defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger,” Hegseth reiterated, highlighting the strategic importance of the US-India relationship. But beneath the surface, both countries are acutely aware of the challenges. The US wants India to reduce its dependence on Russian arms and align more closely with Western interests, especially as global tensions rise. India, for its part, values the flexibility and autonomy that come from keeping its options open.
Back in Bihar, Tejashwi’s campaign is unfolding against this broader backdrop of shifting alliances and recalibrated identities. Just as India navigates its place between global powers, the RJD is trying to find its footing between legacy and renewal. The stakes are high on both fronts. For Tejashwi, the challenge is to convince voters that he represents genuine change, not just a repackaged version of the past. For India, the task is to balance its strategic interests without alienating key partners.
As the election season heats up and international negotiations continue, one thing is clear: whether in Patna or New Delhi, the art of political balancing has never been more crucial—or more complicated.
