Dalit Leader Shyam Rajak Exits RJD, Alleging Betrayal

Shyam Rajak, the national general secretary of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), resigned, citing feelings of betrayal. Rajak, a prominent Dalit leader and former minister, expressed disappointment in a letter to party president Lalu Prasad, detailing his concerns. He hinted at revealing his future plans soon.

In a substantial blow to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, its national general secretary, Shyam Rajak, resigned on Thursday, expressing that he felt 'cheated' by the party he joined four years ago.

Rajak, a former state minister and a key Dalit leader in the RJD, sent a pointed letter to party president Lalu Prasad. He declared his resignation from both his high-ranking position and the party membership itself. Rajak concluded his letter with a cryptic Hindi verse, roughly translating to, 'I was not fond of a game of chess, hence got cheated. You kept planning your moves, I kept caring about our relationship.'

RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav rebuked Rajak, who had joined the party ahead of the 2020 assembly elections after being ousted from the Nitish Kumar cabinet and expelled from JD(U). Yadav accused Rajak of political opportunism, stating, 'It is Shyam Rajak who likes to play a game of chess, while our leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav speak and act from the heart. He returned to RJD after experiencing political isolation.'