Lalu Prasad Yadav, formerly a dominant force in Bihar’s political landscape, appears to have excluded his son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party and the family. This decision came in the wake of a viral image featuring Tej Pratap with Anushka Yadav. Tej Pratap has been utilizing social media to express his feelings and convey political messages, often referencing his parents and posing in front of a portrait of Lalu Prasad Yadav with open arms.
Tej Pratap posted a picture of his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, on social media. In the image, Tej Pratap is standing below a picture of Lalu Prasad Yadav. He accompanied the image with a message: ‘The darker the night, the closer the dawn.’ In the image, Tej Pratap Yadav has his arms outstretched, showing his eagerness for a comeback. The key question remains: Will Tej Pratap, who has been perpetually favored by Lalu Yadav and often forgiven for his transgressions, receive similar leniency this time?
Lalu Prasad Yadav has seemingly taken action against his elder son, Tej Pratap, effectively removing him from both the family and the party. This move is viewed within the context of the upcoming Bihar elections, with Anushka Yadav, alleged to be Tej Pratap Yadav’s girlfriend, central to the issue. Reports suggest Tej Pratap has married Anushka Yadav, while his existing marriage to Aishwarya Yadav remains under legal dispute. Consequently, the circulation of Tej Pratap’s photo with Anushka is believed to pose a direct threat to Lalu’s party and family. Citing the importance of public decorum and familial discipline, Lalu Prasad Yadav has intervened in his capacity as head of the party and family.
The strong reactions and complaints from Aishwarya, Tej Pratap’s wife, are creating problems for the RJD’s political dynamics and increasing the risk of voters distancing themselves from the party. Witnessing the setbacks to Tejashwi Yadav’s endeavors, Lalu Yadav has implemented stringent measures against Tej Pratap.
Excluded from the Lalu family and the RJD, Tej Pratap Yadav is desperately seeking reinstatement. A week following Lalu’s action, Tej Pratap Yadav responded. On social media platform X, he wrote, ‘My dear Mummy-Papa… my whole world is within you both; you are more than God. You are all I have; I only need your trust and love, not anything else. Papa, without you, there would be no party, and no greedy people like some Jaychands doing politics with me. Just Mummy-Papa, may you both always be healthy and happy.’
Tej Pratap did not mention any of his siblings. He then wrote another post focused on his younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, with both posts sharing a common element: the mention of Jaychand. Regarding Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap wrote, ‘Those who dream of separating me from my Arjun, you will never succeed in your conspiracies. You can take Krishna’s army, but not Krishna himself. I will soon expose every conspiracy. Just trust me, my brother, I am with you in every situation, currently I am away, but my blessings were always with you and will be with you, my brother. Take care of Mummy-Papa, Jaychand is everywhere, inside and outside.’
On June 7, Tej Pratap Yadav shared a post where he was seen listening to people’s problems. Tej Pratap wrote that a person walking on the path of truth is always victorious. We should always follow the path of truth. The path of truth is undoubtedly difficult, but victory always belongs to the person who walks the path of truth. Raja Harishchandra regained his lost prestige by walking the path of truth; the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas in the war by following the path of truth. Subsequently, on June 9, he shared another post featuring himself standing below the picture of Lalu Yadav with his arms outstretched.
Tej Pratap’s future within the family and the party appears uncertain. While Lalu Yadav may eventually offer forgiveness, the prevailing electoral climate is impacting his actions. Lalu Yadav has a history of granting forgiveness within his political sphere. However, the motivations behind these prior instances of forgiveness are varied, often differentiating political considerations from family matters. Significantly, Lalu Yadav did not extend forgiveness to Purnia MP Pappu Yadav. Similarly, Sadhu Yadav and certain relatives are also cited in this context. Notably, there exists a separate list of leaders.
Notable figures like Nitish Kumar, Shivanand Tiwari, and Jagdanand Singh are also included in this list. With respect to Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav has made statements that he would drink poison and that he has teeth in his stomach. There was a time when the entire Lalu family had referred to him as ‘Paltoo Kumar.’ Yet, in 2022, when Nitish Kumar returned to the Grand Alliance as Chief Minister, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi was questioned regarding the 2015 elections alongside Nitish Kumar and his return to the NDA in 2017. Rabri Devi responded, ‘Everything is forgiven… everything is forgiven’.
