PATNA, July 27 — Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, former state minister Tej Pratap Yadav has announced he will contest as an Independent candidate from the Mahua Assembly seat in Vaishali district. The move comes weeks after his expulsion from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by his father and party founder Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Currently the MLA from Hasanpur in Samastipur district, Tej Pratap declared his new political course while speaking to reporters at his residence on Saturday evening. “Yes, this time, I will contest the elections from the Mahua Assembly seat as an Independent candidate. My opponents must have started to feel an itch,” he said with characteristic flair.
Once seen as a princeling within the RJD, Tej Pratap now seeks to re-establish his political identity, banking on personal charisma and digital outreach. “I have people’s support… a large number of people are now connected with my ‘Team Tej Pratap Yadav’,” he said, referring to his growing presence on social media platforms.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Tej Pratap predicted a change of guard after the polls. “I am confident that ‘chacha’ Nitish will not become the CM. If any new government speaks about youth, employment, education and health — Tej Pratap Yadav will stand with them,” he added, leaving open the possibility of post-election alignments.
The 35-year-old was expelled from the RJD on May 25 for six years, a decision Lalu Prasad took shortly after Tej Pratap claimed on Facebook that he was “in a relationship” with a woman named Anushka. Although the post was later deleted with a claim that his account had been hacked, the damage appeared irreparable. Lalu publicly disowned his son, citing “irresponsible behaviour.”
In the days following his ouster, Tej Pratap accused internal party conspirators of trying to alienate him from his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, RJD’s chief ministerial face for the upcoming election. In cryptic posts on X (formerly Twitter), he alluded to betrayal within the party, invoking “Jaichand,” a historic reference to treachery.
The rift in Bihar’s foremost political dynasty has sharpened just months before a crucial election. Born to Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers, Tej Pratap and Tejashwi are two of four siblings actively engaged in politics. Tej Pratap made his electoral debut in 2015 and is now a two-term MLA, having held portfolios including Health and Environment during his brief stints in the state Cabinet.
His return to Mahua — the seat from which he launched his career — signals an emotional and symbolic re-entry into the political battlefield, but this time without the RJD banner.
