The size at today's RJD rally might be debatable, but one thing that has undeniably changed is the profile of the participants.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been organising the largest rallies ever at Gandhi Maidan right from the early 1990s. Back then, the participants consisted of the poor and downtrodden sections of society, who came wearing tattered clothes and were even barefoot. But on Sunday, a sizeable section of participants came in jeans and were seen clicking selfies.

The youth had come to hear Tejashwi Prasad and Tej Pratap Yadav, who, they feel, have the potential to challenge the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The paradigm shift in those who participated in Sunday's RJD rally points to the social and economic churn that has taken place since 1990 when Lalu first came to power.

The forces of social justice have retained power since then. One cannot take away from Lalu the credit of giving voice to the voiceless, downtrodden, poor and backward classes in the state.

Sunday's rally saw major participation by youngsters, mostly students and unemployed youth. Abul Farah Shazli, a Simri-Bakhtiarpur (Saharsa) boy pursuing post-graduation from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), had come all the way from Aligarh along with 50 friends from Aligarh and Delhi. He even lost his wallet in the rally but not his enthusiasm. "We all have roots in Bihar and came to support Lalu ji and his call to protect the country's secular fabric," Shazli said. He conceded the RJD is technologically poorer in reaching out to its support base.

Masoom Nabi, a Jamia Millia Islamia graduate and son of a farmer in Motihari, was enthusiastic about the rally. "The youth are feeling cheated, as unemployment is high," Masoom said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised 2 crore jobs every year, but the situation in the country is such that people are, instead, losing jobs."

Guddu Siddiqui, an MBBS student from Patna Medical College and Hospital, came to hear Tejashwi and Tej Pratap. Siddiqui said: "The RJD was considered a party of the poor and downtrodden, mainly in rural areas, but with Tejashwi and Tej Pratap at the helm now, the party's support base is changing. Many youth students and working professionals are joining the party."

Anil Yadav, who is preparing for competitive exams at Bazar Samiti, claimed Lalu and his family members are not corrupt and the CBI raids were a pressure tactic by the Narendra Modi government.

"We fail to understand how only a few politicians (like Lalu and family) have amassed wealth," Anil said. "Why isn't the CBI raiding properties of BJP leaders?"

While on the one hand there was active and huge participation by youths, there were many coming to attend the rally with just puffed rice and gram. Davendra Prasad Kushwaha, who had come from Kaimur, was spotted having puffed rice and gram with his friends as no food arrangement had been made for them. Kushwaha said: "We have brought puffed rice and gram from our homes. The RJD is a party of the poor, who have limited resources."

In 2010, when the RJD began losing its grip over its caste combination, there were apprehentions in the RJD that Lalu's appeal had weakened - particularly among the younger generation.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, a number of youths belonging to Lalu's core voter base, the Yadavs, preferred to back the BJP. But Tejashwi's entry into politics appears to have rejuvenated the party's youth base, apart from the more educated and more prosperous sections of his voters.