Bihar: RJD rejects Shivchandra Ram’s resignation, leadership resolves grievances

Patna, June 9 (IANS) The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has rejected the resignation of senior party leader Shivchandra Ram, who had stepped down from the post of National President of the party’s Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Cell after expressing dissatisfaction over not being nominated for the Bihar Legislative Council elections.

On Tuesday, RJD Chief Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav announced that the party leadership had not accepted Shivchandra Ram’s resignation.

He said that after the resignation announcement, several senior leaders, including Chief Whip Kumar Sarvjeet, met with him and persuaded him to continue serving the party.

According to Yadav, the efforts of the senior leadership succeeded in addressing his concerns, following which Shivchandra Ram agreed to withdraw his resignation and remain associated with the party.

“Shivchandra Ram is a veteran and dedicated soldier of the RJD. He has unwavering faith in the ideology of social justice, and the party deeply values his contribution. The RJD leadership respects his experience, commitment, and service to the organisation,” Shakti Singh Yadav said.

The political development comes a day after Shivchandra Ram dramatically announced his resignation from the post of National President of the SC/ST Cell, alleging neglect of Dalit leaders and a lack of respect towards the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities within the party.

During a press conference on Monday, an emotional Shivchandra Ram broke down as he addressed the media. However, he clarified that despite his grievances, he did not intend to leave the party.

In a two-page resignation letter addressed to RJD National Working President Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, he expressed disappointment over the party’s decision regarding the vacant Bihar Legislative Council seat.

He stated that members of the Dalit and Ravidas communities, along with thousands of dedicated party workers, had high expectations regarding representation in the Legislative Council.

He argued that recent developments had caused disappointment and resentment among supporters from these communities. Reports also suggested that his health deteriorated following the resignation announcement, adding further attention to the issue.

The controversy emerged after Sunil Kumar Singh filed his nomination as the RJD candidate for the Legislative Council election on Monday. His candidature reportedly triggered dissent within sections of the party.

Rohini Acharya, daughter of RJD National President Lalu Prasad Yadav, also questioned the candidate selection process through a social media post.

Shivchandra Ram’s resignation sparked significant political debate across Bihar. Former minister Tej Pratap Yadav expressed support for him, stating that his party, JJD, stood by the veteran leader.

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also criticised the RJD over the episode, using the issue to target the opposition party.

With the intervention of the party leadership and Shivchandra Ram’s decision to continue in the organisation, the RJD appears to have temporarily defused a potentially embarrassing internal dispute ahead of crucial political contests in the state.

--IANS 

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