PATNA: In signs of unease within the ruling RJD, the party is set to replace its state unit chief Jagdanand Singh with Abdul Bari Sidiqqui, a former Bihar minister. An official announcement is likely on November 24. sources said.
Jagdanand is apparently adamant about not resuming his work despite persuasion. Singh, considered a close aide of Lalu Prasad, has been sulking ever since his son Sudhakar lost his ministerial post last month after he fell out with CM Nitish Kumar.
Jagdanand has not visited the state party office since October 2. Nor did he attend the two-day party meeting in Delhi last month. Sudhakar was told to quit after he spoke about corruption in his department and questioned the efficacy of farm plans rolled out by the CM.
Party leader Bhola Yadav, another close aide of Lalu, is tipped to be the party’s secretary general.
RJD sources said Jagdanand had gone to Delhi recently to meet Lalu, and cited his poor health for not being able to continue in his post. By giving the state party reins back to Siddiqui he had served on the post for nearly seven years the RJD hopes to strengthen its Muslim-Yadav vote bank.
Meanwhile, party spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan rejected the speculation over Siddiqui replacing Singh. “Singh is not keeping well and is unable to do the work,” he said. However, a section of party leaders said Siddiqui would get the post as he was denied the Rajya Sabha berth despite being the senior-most leader of the Muslim community.
Though Siddiqui enjoyed considerable influence in Mithilanchal, another leader Faiyaz Alam, who also comes from the region, was sent to the Rajya Sabha. Siddiqui lost to BJP’s Haribhushan Thakur in the 2020 Assembly polls.
Reins to Siddiqui?
By giving the state party reins back to Abdul Bari Siddiqui he had served on the post for nearly seven years the RJD hopes to strengthen its Muslim-Yadav vote bank