Patna, June 14 — Senior leader Mangni Lal Mandal filed his nomination on Saturday for the post of Bihar state president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He arrived at the party headquarters alongside Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav to submit his nomination papers.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti were also present during the filing.
Uncontested Election, Formal Declaration on June 19
Mandal is set to be elected unopposed, as no other nominations were submitted for the post. He filed his papers before Dr. Tanveer Hasan, the state election officer of the party. The formal announcement of his appointment will be made on June 19 during the RJD State Council meeting at Gyan Bhawan in Patna.
Set to Replace Jagdanand Singh
At 76, Mangni Lal Mandal will take over the leadership from outgoing president Jagdanand Singh. His appointment is seen as a strategic move by the RJD to consolidate support among the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who make up around 36% of Bihar’s population. Mandal is a prominent figure from this community.
A long-time RJD member, Mandal had switched to JD(U) for a period before returning to the RJD earlier this year in January. His political career spans decades—he served as a Bihar Legislative Council member from 1986 to 2004 and held ministerial positions in the state cabinet. He also represented Bihar in the Rajya Sabha from 2004 to 2009.
As Bihar gears up for assembly elections scheduled for October-November this year, Mandal’s appointment is being closely watched. Whether this leadership change translates into electoral gains for the RJD remains to be seen.
Input By : Shashank Kumar
