As 14.2 per cent Yadavs secure 51 seats, 18 per cent Muslims get only 19, exposing the hollowness of the party’s so-called MY alliance
PATNA – RJD’s long-celebrated “MY equation” of Muslim-Yadav unity has come under sharp criticism after the party announced its list of candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections. Muslims across the state feel betrayed, accusing Tejashwi Yadav of sidelining them despite repeated promises of equal political participation.
Out of 143 seats, RJD has fielded 51 Yadav candidates and only 19 Muslims, the remaining going to candidates from other communities. The data clearly exposes a serious imbalance in representation between the two pillars of the party’s traditional vote base.
Yadavs constitute nearly 14.26% of Bihar’s population, while Muslims make up around 18%. Despite having a larger population share, Muslims have been offered fewer seats. This has sparked resentment among Muslim leaders and voters, who now see RJD’s social justice slogan as hollow.
Political observers and Muslim leaders have strongly criticised RJD’s approach. Shams Aziz, a journalist monitoring Bihar’s politics, remarked, “Everyone wants Muslim votes, but no one wants Muslims. The RJD has always used Muslims as a vote bank, and this election has once again proved it.”
He added, “Yadavs form 14% of the population but have 51 candidates. Muslims, who are 18%, got only 19. This shows how unbalanced and unfair the so-called MY equation has become under Tejashwi Yadav.”
Several Muslim community members echoed similar sentiments, expressing that they had trusted RJD for decades, hoping for fair political representation. Now, they say the party has “taken their loyalty for granted.”
Before the elections, Tejashwi Yadav had repeatedly said that the party stood for “Samajik Nyay” (social justice) and that “the more the participation, the more the share.” However, critics say his actions have contradicted his words.
A senior Muslim activist in Patna, Mohammad Haroon, said, “Tejashwi’s slogan has turned out to be a joke. What kind of social justice is this, where one community dominates and another is ignored? Muslims have been loyal to RJD for thirty years, and this is how the party repays them.”
Even within the RJD, some minority leaders privately admit that the ticket distribution has disappointed the Muslim community. They fear that this imbalance could weaken the party’s traditional “MY” vote bank, which has been central to its political survival since Lalu Prasad Yadav’s era.
Political analysts say the so-called “MY” (Muslim-Yadav) alliance has long been more about votes than values. The ratio of 51 Yadavs to 19 Muslims in ticket allocation clearly reveals that political arithmetic has overshadowed social justice.
An independent analyst, Dr Nazia Rahman, commented, “RJD’s politics of social justice has now become a politics of selective justice. The figures show that the party prioritises Yadav candidates even when Muslims form a larger share of the population.”
She further added, “The MY equation was never about equality; it was about convenience. Tejashwi’s decision shows that Muslims are seen only as supporters, not as partners.”
Despite the disappointment, the party has fielded a few prominent Muslim candidates. Dr Firoz Fatmi will contest from Keoti, Yusuf Salahuddin from Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Akhtarul Islam Shaheen from Samastipur, and Faisal Rahman from Dhaka. In addition, Syed Abu Dojana is contesting from Sursand, Osama Shahab from Raghunathpur, Ishrat Parveen from Pranpur, Saud Alam from Thakurganj, and Mujahid Alam from Kochadham. Veteran leader Abdulbari Siddiqui also figures in the list.
However, several Muslim leaders argue that these names are “too few to represent the state’s Muslim population effectively.” One community worker from Kishanganj said, “The RJD has given tickets to a handful of familiar faces just to maintain a show of inclusivity. But the numbers tell the truth.”
RJD’s decision could have serious political consequences. Many Muslim voters, especially in Seemanchal and North Bihar, are reportedly considering alternative parties. Some local leaders have warned that the RJD’s arrogance could backfire.
A former RJD supporter from Purnea, Aslam Iqbal, said, “We stood with RJD in every election, even in its worst times. But now, our patience is ending. If Muslims continue to be ignored, the party will lose its credibility among us.”
Observers believe that this growing resentment could benefit smaller parties or independents in several Muslim-majority constituencies.
For decades, the “MY” equation has been at the heart of RJD’s political identity — uniting Muslims and Yadavs under a shared banner of social justice. But the 51–19 ticket ratio has exposed deep cracks in that alliance.
“Tejashwi Yadav had a chance to prove that he was different from his father’s politics of caste and calculation,” said Shams Aziz. “But instead, he repeated the same mistakes. Muslims have realised now that their role in RJD is limited to voting, not leading.”
As Bihar prepares for a fiercely contested election, one thing has become clear: RJD’s credibility among Muslims has been severely damaged. Whether Tejashwi can repair that trust — or whether Muslims will finally look beyond RJD — remains to be seen.
