Rashtriya Janata Dal, popularly known as RJD- "National People`s Party" is a prominent regional party in India. The president of RJD is Laloo Prasad Yadav. The Rashtriya Janata Dal was established in 1997 after Laloo Prasad Yadav came out of the Janata Dal. The party was established on the grounds of the Yadavs and Muslim communities. These two communities are considered the largest and destitute communities of Bihar. The party was in power for a number of times under the chief ministership of Laloo Prasad Yadav and then Rabri Devi, wife to Laloo Prasad.

Ahead of the 2005 elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal launched a manifesto which was specially minority oriented. The party proposed a number of concessions for minorities in its manifesto for the February Assembly elections in Bihar. Being the party president, Laloo Prasad Yadav released the manifesto in a press conference. According to the manifesto the party had proposed to set up a "vikas sena". Apart from that the party had also promised to tone up the administrative units to guarantee benefits of development to reach the dalits, backwards, minorities and other oppressed sections of society.

But after the 2005 elections, the scenario changed in such a way that President`s rule was imposed on Bihar. As a result a new election took place and another party came to power.