The political rivalry within the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) first family has escalated dramatically in the lead-up to the Bihar Assembly elections. Tej Pratap Yadav, the estranged elder son of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, has publicly signaled a deepening rift by unfollowing his younger brother and Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
This social media move, which follows his previous unfollowing of elder sisters Misa and Hema Yadav, leaves Tej Pratap following only five accounts, including his father Lalu Prasad Yadav, mother Rabri Devi, and sister Raj Lakshmi Yadav, effectively severing his public connection with the RJD’s current leadership. When questioned by reporters about unfollowing his brother, Tej Pratap curtly dismissed the query, stating, “Don’t ask me such questions, which have no meaning.”
The expelled RJD leader, who has since launched his own political outfit, the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), has simultaneously made an aggressive electoral move. He has announced that his party will unveil its full list of candidates on October 13 and personally confirmed his decision to contest from the Mahua assembly constituency.
“I will declare my candidates the day after tomorrow. Parso jordaar ailaan hoga (Day after tomorrow big announcements will be made)…I will contest from Mahua. I am only concerned with the people of Mahua and no one else,” the JJD founder stated. Mahua is the same seat he won in the 2015 elections as an RJD candidate, and the move sets the stage for a high-profile, symbolic contest, as the seat is currently held by RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Raushan.
Tej Pratap’s break from the family and the RJD began earlier after he was expelled for six years by his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, following a controversial social media post. The post, which included a photo and a claim of being in a 12-year relationship with a woman, caused an uproar and was later denied by Tej Pratap, who alleged his Facebook account had been hacked. The incident, which reignited public scrutiny of his tumultuous marriage and pending divorce with Aishwarya Rai, was cited by Lalu Prasad as a “serious breach of moral and social values” that undermined the party.
With the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results on November 14, Tej Pratap’s candidacy announcement and the public display of family discord are expected to further complicate the political dynamics, particularly for the RJD-led INDIA bloc, as they attempt to unseat the ruling NDA coalition.