Patna, India – As Bihar gears up for Assembly elections in two phases on November 6 and November 11, the political atmosphere has intensified following a Delhi court's decision to frame charges against key Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam case. The charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, and their son Tejashwi Yadav, have provided the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with fresh ammunition to target the opposition, potentially reshaping the electoral narrative.
The IRCTC case, which has been ongoing for several years, revolves around alleged irregularities in the awarding of contracts for the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels, located in Ranchi and Puri, during Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleges that Sujata Hotels, a private firm, was granted these contracts in exchange for a prime piece of land in Patna, acquired by Lalu Prasad Yadav through a benami company. A benami transaction is held under someone's name while the financing is done by another person. According to the CBI, the land was undervalued in official records as agricultural land to evade taxes, causing losses to the state. After Lalu Yadav left office in 2009, the shares of the benami company were allegedly transferred to Tejashwi Yadav and Rabri Devi between 2010 and 2014.
On Monday, a Delhi court framed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav for criminal misconduct and conspiracy to commit cheating, while Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav were charged with cheating and criminal conspiracy. All three have pleaded not guilty and said they will face trial.
Tejashwi Yadav has strongly reacted to the court's decision, labeling the case a "political vendetta". He vowed to fight the charges both legally and politically, stating, "As long as I live, I will continue to fight against the BJP...It will be a historic victory". He also alluded to the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, confirming that seat distribution would be finalized soon. According to The Economic Times, Yadav defended his father by saying that Lalu Yadav gave ₹90,000 crore profit to the Railways and was called a Management Guru by students from Harvard and IIM.
The BJP has seized upon the opportunity to attack Tejashwi Yadav and the RJD, with BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo criticizing Lalu Yadav and his family. The BJP is highlighting the charges as evidence of corruption within the RJD, reinforcing its campaign theme of "Chalein Hain Bihar Badalne" (Let's go to change Bihar).
The timing of the charges is particularly significant, given the imminent Bihar Assembly elections. The case is likely to dominate political discourse in the state, with the BJP attempting to portray Tejashwi Yadav as tainted by corruption, while the RJD counters by alleging political victimization.
The Congress party has echoed this sentiment, alleging that the BJP government misuses agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI to target opponents. According to The Economic Times, Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that such moves will backfire in the Bihar elections.
The legal proceedings and the political fallout are expected to intensify in the coming weeks as the case progresses to trial. The court had directed all 14 accused to appear in person on September 24. Special Judge Vishal Gogne pronounced the order on October 13. The unfolding developments in the IRCTC case are poised to have a considerable impact on the political landscape of Bihar, potentially influencing voter sentiment and the outcome of the upcoming elections.
