In a dramatic political pivot weeks after being expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, on Saturday declared that he will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections from the Mahua constituency—the seat he earlier won in 2015.
Flanked by his loyalists and donning a yellow cap, Tej Pratap announced the revival of his political career under a new banner—Team Tej Pratap Yadav, a platform he claims will directly connect him with the public.
“This time, Uncle (Nitish Kumar) will not become the Chief Minister,” he said, speaking to reporters in Patna. “Whichever government is formed, if they talk about youth, employment, education, and health, Tej Pratap Yadav will stand with them with full strength.”
From Hasanpur to Mahua—a shift in battleground
Tej Pratap is currently serving as an MLA from Hasanpur in the Samastipur district. His decision to shift back to Mahua—the Vaishali seat he held during 2015–2020—signals not just a return to familiar turf but also a bid to reclaim lost political relevance post his estrangement from RJD.
“There are many opponents, and they’ve started to feel the itch,” he quipped, hinting at a possible triangular contest in the constituency.
Exit from RJD and social media drama
Tej Pratap’s decision to float an independent political identity comes on the heels of an explosive controversy earlier this month. The former health minister posted on social media revealing a 12-year-long relationship with a woman, despite his ongoing divorce case with estranged wife Aishwarya Rai. The post was later deleted, and Tej Pratap claimed that his account had been hacked.
The move didn’t sit well with Lalu Yadav, who swiftly expelled him from the RJD—a decision that has since widened the rift within Bihar’s most prominent political family.
Election timeline awaited
The dates for the Bihar Assembly elections, which are expected to take place later this year, have not yet been made public by the Election Commission. With family relationships being publicly shown and political equations changing, Tej Pratap’s return might make things more difficult for the RJD and the larger Mahagathbandhan alliance.
In the upcoming months, the dust-filled campaign trails of Bihar will reveal whether Team Tej Pratap becomes a formidable force or continues to be a platform of defiance.
