In Indian politics, this story is as old as time. Candidates from the same political family have faced off against one another in nearly every significant election in the nation. However, they are rarely as closely connected as the sons of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav.
Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s chief ministerial candidate and Lalu’s heir apparent, was leading from the Raghopur constituency just over an hour into the Bihar election results counting on Friday. Tej Pratap Yadav, his older brother, was trailing from the Mahua seat, in stark contrast. After being kicked out of the RJD by his father earlier this year, Tej Pratap founded the Janshakti Janta Dal, which he is running for in the Bihar elections.
While Tej Pratap is trying to reclaim Mahua, the constituency from which he made his electoral debut in 2015, Tejashwi is hoping for a hat-trick in the Raghopur seat.
One day after Tej Pratap allegedly admitted to being “in a relationship” with a lady, he was expelled from the RJD for six years on May 25. However, he then removed the social media post, claiming that his profile had been “hacked.” Tej Pratap was likewise disowned by Lalu Prasad because of his “irresponsible behavior.”
Tej Pratap said that there was a “conspiracy” to put him and his younger brother Tejashwi at odds a few days after he was kicked out of the party. In a few posts under his X handle, he expressed his opinions and blamed “Jaichand,” a metaphor for traitors, for the catastrophe.
The Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), led by Tej Pratap, is running for 44 seats. Tej Pratap has stated that he hasn’t seen either of his parents since leaving the party and family, ruling out a comeback to the RJD. Additionally, he has avoided answering queries about whether he will support the opposition coalition headed by his estranged brother Tejashwi Yadav or the BJP.
