Patna, Sep 4 (IANS): The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) held a meeting here on Wednesday to discuss Tejashwi Yadav's Jan Samwad Yatra, which is set to begin on September 10, to strengthen groundwork for next year's Assembly elections.

The meeting, led by RJD national president Lalu Prasad Yadav, included key party figures -- Tejashwi Yadav, RJD state president Jagadanand Singh, and general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui, RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwari. The party's Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and district party presidents attended the meeting.

The primary focus of the meeting was to devise ways to connect with the public at the grassroots level.

“Tejashwi Yadav's upcoming Yatra is a crucial part of this plan, aiming to garner maximum public support and lay the groundwork for the 2025 Assembly elections,” said Chitranjan Gagan, RJD spokesperson.

Gagan highlighted the positive public response to Tejashwi Yadav's previous Yatra, expressing optimism for even greater support this time around.

Chitranjan Gagan said the party narrowly missed forming the government in Bihar in the 2020 Assembly elections. The RJD had emerged as the largest party with 75 seats, but their alliance fell short due to the poor performance of partners like Congress, which won only 19 out of the 70 seats it contested. The Left parties secured a combined total of 16 seats. This shortfall prevented the Grand Alliance from securing a majority, he said.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Assembly elections, Lalu Prasad Yadav and other RJD leaders are focused on improving the party's performance, said the party leaders. They are working on strengthening the organisational structure and ensuring its effectiveness at the grassroots level.

A key component of the party's strategy is Tejashwi Yadav's Jan Samwad Yatra, which will begin from Samastipur on September 10. This Yatra aims to connect with all sections of the population, with a particular focus on OBC, EBC, Dalit, and tribal communities.

The RJD leaders are placing significant emphasis on two critical issues as part of their strategy for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

First, they are advocating for a caste-based census at the national level, which they believe is essential for ensuring fair representation and resource allocation among various communities. Second, they are pushing for the inclusion of a 65 per cent reservation quota in the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. This move aims to protect the quota from judicial review, thereby securing affirmative action for OBCs, EBCs, Dalits, and tribal communities, the party leaders said.

These issues are likely to be central to the RJD's campaign. The party seeks to rally public support to secure a stronger outcome in the next year's elections. And for this, Tejashwi Yadav's Jan Samwad Yatra is crucial, said Gagan.