The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has declined the resignation of Shivchandra Ram, a senior party leader who stepped down as the National President of the SC/ST Cell due to dissatisfaction over not being nominated for the Bihar Legislative Council elections. Despite his emotional resignation announcement, the RJD leadership, including Chief Whip Kumar Sarvjeet, convinced him to retract his resignation and continue serving the party. Shivchandra Ram, known for his dedication to the RJD and commitment to social justice, decided to remain associated with the party following discussions with senior leaders.
The controversy arose after Shivchandra Ram criticized the party for neglecting Dalit leaders and showing a lack of respect towards the SC/ST communities. His resignation letter, expressing disappointment over the party’s decision on the Legislative Council seat, highlighted the high expectations of representation from Dalit and Ravidas communities. The situation escalated further when Sunil Kumar Singh filed his nomination for the Legislative Council election as the RJD candidate, leading to dissent within the party and drawing attention to the issue.
The political turmoil surrounding Shivchandra Ram’s resignation garnered significant attention in Bihar, with leaders like Tej Pratap Yadav and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi weighing in on the matter. While Tej Pratap Yadav expressed support for the veteran leader, Jitan Ram Manjhi criticized the RJD, using the incident to target the opposition party. With Shivchandra Ram deciding to stay in the RJD following discussions with party leaders, the party seems to have averted a potential internal conflict ahead of crucial political events in the state.
