Tej Pratap on Lalu Yadav: Amidst the hustle and bustle of Bihar Assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav has once again created a stir in the political circles. Chief of his new party Janashakti Janata Dal, Tej Pratap Yadav has given a shocking and emotional statement while talking to the media, in which he has described himself as out of the ‘shadow’ of his father’s political legacy. Tej Pratap Yadav has clearly said that “Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav are under the patronage of Lalu Prasad Yadav, not me.” This statement directly highlights the tussle within the Lalu family and the struggle for political succession.
Claim of ‘patronage of the poor’: Resolve to fight alone
After separating from Lalu family and RJD, Tej Pratap Yadav has resolved to make his own path. Clarifying his point, he said, “Karpoori Thakur, Mahatma Gandhi, Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Gandhiji were public leaders… Lalu Yadav has his shadow over Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. They do not have their shadow over us.” In an attempt to connect himself with the public, Tej Pratap added, “We have the support of the poor and the youth of Bihar. We are moving forward with this in mind. We will do it on our own strength.” This statement shows that Tej Pratap Yadav is now trying to make inroads among the Dalit and young voters of Bihar on his own, rather than inheriting Lalu’s legacy.
Expulsion from party and family: Divorce dispute became the reason
It is noteworthy that Tej Pratap Yadav has been expelled from the party and family by his father Lalu Prasad Yadav. The reason for this latest controversy was a ‘post’ made by Tej Pratap on social media, in which he claimed to be in a relationship with a woman for 12 years despite the divorce case being pending in the court. There was a huge uproar in the family after this incident. After being expelled from the party and family, Tej Pratap is now contesting the elections under the banner of his new party ‘Janshakti Janata Dal’. He had said in very strong words that “it would be better to choose death than returning to that party (RJD).”
Will contest elections from Mahua: Question on popularity
This time Tej Pratap Yadav will contest from Mahua assembly seat, due to which he wants to prove his strong hold politically. Mahua elected Tej Pratap as MLA for the first time in 2015. However, in 2020, he was fielded from Hasanpur seat in Samastipur district. There was talk at the time that Mahua had become “unsafe” for him due to his perceived lack of popularity. Returning to Mahua seat is a battle for Tej Pratap to re-establish his political credibility. This statement of Tej Pratap not only throws light on the political relationship between Rahul and Tejashwi, but also shows that the rift within the Lalu family in Bihar politics has now taken the form of a big electoral contest.
