Political tensions within Bihar’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) reached a new high on Sunday, just months before the crucial Assembly elections. Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of party patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, publicly unfollowed his younger brother and Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, on the social media platform X, signaling a significant deepening of their family rift.
This latest development follows Tej Pratap’s expulsion from the RJD by his father back in May. Last month, he further cemented his independent path by announcing the creation of his own political entity, the Janshakti Janata Dal. The party is reportedly set to unveil its initial list of candidates on October 13.
Tej Pratap has consistently distanced himself from the RJD in recent statements. His decision to unfollow Tejashwi, who is widely seen as the RJD’s chief ministerial candidate for Bihar, is a clear indication that his separation now extends to his brother and the party’s core leadership.
Currently, Tej Pratap’s X account follows only five profiles: his own political party, his younger sister Raj Lakshmi Yadav, his mother Rabri Devi, his father Lalu Prasad, and surprisingly, actor Riteish Deshmukh. Notably, Tejashwi Yadav continues to follow his elder brother on the platform.
This isn’t the first time Tej Pratap has made such a public gesture. He previously unfollowed his eldest sister, Lok Sabha member Misha Bharti, Hema Yadav, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Adding to the family’s social media drama, their elder sister Rohini Acharya unfollowed all prominent RJD figures, including Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, and Misha Bharti, on September 20.
When confronted by reporters in Patna about unfollowing his younger brother, a visibly annoyed Tej Pratap retorted, “Don’t ask me such stupid questions. Go to social media and see who’s following whom and who is not.”
In a strategic move ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Tej Pratap has already forged alliances with five other parties: the Vikas Vanchit Insaan Party, Bhojpuriya Jan Morcha, Pragatisheel Janta Party, Wajib Adhikar Party, and Sanyukt Kisan Vikas Party.
Through his new political venture, Tej Pratap aims to inject fresh blood into politics, focusing on youth and new faces. This initiative is seen as an effort to portray himself as a mature and effective public representative. He has also confirmed his intention to contest the election from the Mahua Assembly seat, currently held by Rakesh Raushan of the RJD.
In related news, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) has also announced that it will release its second list of candidates on October 13.