RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav has been in the headlines recently. Following his six-year expulsion from the party by his father, Lalu Yadav, Tej Pratap claimed he is being targeted because people see him as the future of the party, mirroring his father’s legacy.
In an interview, the elder son of Lalu Yadav hinted that he would like his brother, Tejashwi Yadav, to become the Chief Minister of Bihar after the elections later this year, while he himself prefers to play the role of a kingmaker.
Tej Pratap, who married Aishwarya Rai, the daughter of a former Bihar minister, in 2018, was recently expelled from the RJD after posting a controversial picture on X. The post, which claimed he was with a woman named Anushka Yadav and that they had been in a 12-year relationship, was later deleted. Tej Pratap claimed his account was hacked. Despite this, Lalu Yadav expelled his elder son from the party for six years.
When asked why he is targeted, Tej Pratap stated, “Other people who keep targeting me do so because they know I am the next Lalu Yadav, because my voice is also the same, the same pure, raw mannerisms, the same grounded nature.” He questioned whether his controversies have damaged the RJD’s image, and wondered why he was being targeted specifically, implying there were other people involved.
On the news of his expulsion from the party, Tej Pratap expressed disappointment, suggesting that he was the victim of a conspiracy. When asked about the role his father played in his expulsion, the former Bihar minister stated that his parents, Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi, are like God to him, and he holds them in high regard.
He added, “My mother is always worried about me. As her elder son, I know she holds me very close to her heart. I don’t want to go into what the circumstances were or were not because it is purely political.”
Regarding his relationship with Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap admitted to some turmoil, but that he’s trying to manage the situation. He said, “I am not interested in breaking relationships. I don’t want to spoil relationships with anyone. I always try to maintain relationships. When you are the elder brother, you have to fulfill the responsibilities of the elder brother.”
On the subject of Tejashwi Yadav becoming Chief Minister, he said, “Tejashwi should become the Chief Minister; he has my full support. I want to play the role of a kingmaker. Some people don’t like that I am connected to the ground; I raise issues that matter to the people without fear. This is what my father used to do, and this is what I, his son, should also do. People in the villages like people connected to the ground.”