The dust has barely settled on Bihar’s assembly election results, but cracks are already widening within the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the state’s main opposition party. Senior leader and Maneer MLA Bhai Virendra has unleashed a scathing attack on his own party’s top brass, questioning the ticket distribution strategy that he believes contributed to their crushing defeat.
A viral video capturing Virendra’s outburst has sent shockwaves through RJD circles. In it, he laments the sidelining of loyal workers like Vijay Mandal, a former colleague who fought alongside him. ‘What was wrong with Vijay Mandal? I battled hard for him within the party. We shouldn’t have cut his ticket and handed it to outsiders from other districts,’ Virendra is heard saying, his frustration palpable.
He didn’t stop there. Virendra took aim at so-called ‘socialist’ leaders who wield influence across multiple districts, accusing them of dictating ticket allocations. ‘As long as such people dominate politics and tickets are doled out on their whims, no party can escape the fate RJD has met,’ he declared.
Responding to the video’s fallout, Virendra doubled down in front of the media. ‘I’ve always spoken the truth, and I will continue to do so. Those who have exploited and looted the party must be shown the door,’ he asserted, signaling deeper unrest among the ranks.
Ruling alliance parties were quick to pounce. BJP spokesperson Prabhakar Mishra labeled Virendra’s remarks as a revelation of RJD’s internal rot. ‘This isn’t a loss to the people; it’s the defeat of dynasty politics and caste appeasement. Tickets went to cronies, not the deserving. RJD isn’t asking who lost—it’s who was deliberately sabotaged. Public trust in them is shattered.’
JD(U) spokesperson Pooja N Sharma piled on, calling it a classic case of head-butting in a fractured party. ‘Even their victorious Maneer MLA is unhappy with candidate selection. Where workers are bought off and loyalists discarded, this was inevitable. Virendra’s words must sting the opposition leader like salt on wounds.’
As RJD grapples with this public laundry-washing, the question looms: Can they mend fences before the next political battle, or is this the beginning of a deeper implosion?