In view of the unwavering commitment to the values of equality, social justice as also to contest the growing communal posturing of certain political formations, Rashtriya Janata Dal came into being on 5th July 1997. It was on this historic day that shri Lalu Prasad, Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Smt. Kanti Singh along with seventeen Loksabha MPs and eight Rajyasabha MPs besides thousands of supporters and activists assembled at, New Delhi and took the historic decision to form a new Political Party under the name “Rashtriya Janata Dal- RJD”. Shri Lalu Prasad was elected as the President of “Rashtriya Janata Dal- RJD”.

As an active and dynamic political organisation, RJD has invariably stood to strengthen the fight for social equality, social justice and secularism. It was one of the most important ally of UPA-1 from 2004 to May 2009, wherein Sh. Lalu Prasad became the most successful Railway Minister in Indian History.