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Tej Pratap Yadav, who had always been overshadowed in public life by his younger brother, seemed unimpressed with Tejashwi being named the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate.
The estranged RJD leader, who now leads the newly formed Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), said he was guided by “principles and self-respect,” not political power. (PTI)
Former Bihar minister and RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest son, Tej Pratap Yadav, ruled out any possibility of returning to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), asserting that he would “choose death over going back” to the party, from which he was expelled a few months ago.
The estranged RJD leader, who now leads the newly formed Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), said he was guided by “principles and self-respect,” not political power.
“I would choose death over returning to that party. I am not hungry for power. Principles and self-respect are supreme for me,” he told news agency PTI when asked if he considers going back to his father’s party.
VIDEO | Bihar Polls 2025: When asked if he will join the INDIA alliance, Janshakti Janata Dal chief and candidate from Mahua Assembly constituency, Tej Pratap Yadav, said, “No, I would rather die than go back to that party. We have our own party, Janshakti Janata Dal, and we… pic.twitter.com/ikbOp03fni— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 24, 2025
Tej Pratap, the elder son of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers, is contesting from Mahua, the constituency from where he made his electoral debut in 2015.
Yadav, who seeks to wrest back Mahua, said that people were happy with his work as MLA.
“I have been attached to this constituency since much before I entered politics. People tell me they were happy to have me as their MLA, responsive to their needs. They say they have nobody to turn for help now,” he claimed.
He also asserted that he did not consider sitting RJD legislator Mukesh Raushan, a confidant of his younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, as much of a challenge, saying, “The biggest thing for me is to work for the people. I sincerely do that and people love and trust me.”
He filed his nomination papers carrying a photograph of his late grandmother, Marichiya Devi.
When reminded of the gesture, he said, “Of course, she was the one with whose blessings my father rose in politics.” Asked whether he contacted his parents to seek their blessings, too, Yadav said, “We have not talked for some time. But I know their blessings are with me.”
Reacting to Tejashwi Yadav being announced as Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate, Tej Pratap said, “It is politicians’ trait to make announcements of various kinds. But power is enjoyed only by one who gets the people’s blessings.”
He also drew from his earlier self-styled Krishna-Arjuna analogy with his younger brother, saying, “Of course, as a younger brother he used to have my blessings. I could not have unleashed the Sudarshan Chakra on him.”
Tej Pratap Yadav, who had always been overshadowed in public life by his savvy younger brother, seemed unimpressed with Tejashwi being named the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate.
The former RJD leader, however, seemed to have retained his distaste for the ruling NDA.
“People are not going to be deceived by the nefarious designs of the BJP-RSS combine anymore,” he said.
On being asked how this election is different for him, since he is not part of the RJD, the JJD leader said, “Nothing is different. People of Mahua are my family. I am contesting elections under my own party, the symbol of which is blackboard.”
The RJD patriarch had expelled his eldest son from the party and the Yadav family for six years after a social media post went viral.
The post, containing a photograph of a woman named Anushka Yadav, claimed that Tej Pratap had been in a relationship with her for the past 12 years.
The post created uproar in Bihar’s political circles, giving ammunition to rivals and deepening divisions within the RJD.
Tej Pratap later denied making the post, claiming that his Facebook account had been hacked and accusing his detractors of uploading the controversial content as part of a larger conspiracy. Yadav had tied the knot with Aishwarya, granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai. However, within a few months, Aishwarya left his house alleging that she was driven out by her husband and in-laws, and the couple’s divorce petition is pending before the family court.
After his expulsion from the RJD and distancing from Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family, former minister Tej Pratap Yadav has launched a new political platform under the banner of ‘Team Tej Pratap Yadav’.
The first phase of the Bihar Assembly polls will take place on November 6, and the second phase will happen on November 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.
(With inputs from PTI)
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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October 25, 2025, 15:55 IST
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