With Bihar’s upcoming assembly elections drawing near, the political climate in the state is intensifying. Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Lalu Yadav, has announced his departure from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to form a new party. He has named his party ‘Janshakti Janata Dal’ and visited the Election Commission on Monday, August 17th, to register it.
According to reports, Tej Pratap Yadav, along with the president and secretary of the Janshakti Janata Dal, met with the Chief Electoral Officer. The party was reportedly formed in 2020. Balendra Das, a close associate of Tej Pratap, contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under the banner of the Janshakti Janata Dal and was allotted the flute symbol.
Tej Pratap arrived at the Election Commission with essential documents. The Election Commission had recently issued notices to several parties in the state, requiring them to renew their registration with the necessary paperwork. Speculation is rife that Tej Pratap Yadav will lead the Janshakti Janata Dal.
On Monday, the Janshakti Janata Dal received recognition from the Election Commission. Tej Pratap reportedly spent about 30 minutes with the Chief Electoral Officer and registered the party in his name. However, when questioned by the media after the meeting, Tej Pratap stated that he had visited the Election Officer to address the issue of deletion of voters’ names in the Mahua assembly constituency.
Tej Pratap Yadav also commented on the ‘Vot Adhikar Yatra’ being undertaken by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar, stating that it would not be beneficial. He emphasized the importance of issues such as employment and education. He criticized Rahul and Tejashwi for wasting time on the SIR issue.
Tej Pratap was expelled from the RJD for six years following reports of his 12-year relationship with Anushka Yadav on Facebook. Subsequently, Lalu Yadav, the RJD chief and Tej Pratap’s father, took the action. Last month, Tej Pratap announced his decision to contest the Mahua seat as an independent candidate, declaring Mahua as his ‘karmabhoomi’.