Lalu expels son Tej Pratap from party, family: ‘His conduct not in accordance with our family values, traditions’

Lalu added, “He is capable of seeing the good and bad and merits and demerits of his personal life. All those who maintain relations with him should do so at their discretion. I have always been an advocate of maintaining a sense of honour in public life. The obedient members of the family have adopted and followed this principle in public life. Thank you.”

The RJD chief’s decision came a day after a post was shared on Tej Pratap’s Facebook profile that showed him with a woman. The caption claimed the two had been in a relationship for 12 years. The post was later deleted, and Tej Pratap wrote on X, “My social media platforms have been hacked and my pictures are being wrongly edited to harass and defame me and my family members. I appeal to my well-wishers and followers to be cautious and ignore rumours.”

Tej Pratap married Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar CM Daroga Prasad Rai, in 2018. However, months later, the two filed for divorce. The matter is currently pending in a family court in Patna. In July 2022, Tej Pratap threatened to release “countless video clips and other evidence to prove the physical and verbal abuse suffered by me, my parents and my siblings” after a news website carried a report about the divorce proceedings.

Backing his father’s decision, Tej Pratap’s brother and the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, told reporters on Sunday, “As for me, I cannot tolerate such things. Personal and public life are two different things. My brother is an adult and free to make decisions about his personal life.”

“Though Tej Pratap does not have his political constituency, he can still embarrass the party and the family by joining either the JD(U) or the BJP. Our opponents can use him to rile us,” said an RJD leader.

JD(U) MLC and the party’s chief spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, said, “We are surprised at Lalu Prasad taking a high moral ground in Tej Pratap’s case. Why did he not speak when Aishwarya Rai accused the family of domestic violence?”

BJP spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari said Lalu’s eldest son had paid the price for telling the truth. A two-term MLA and former state minister, Tej Pratap is no stranger to controversies and, in RJD circles, has always been viewed as a trouble-maker. In March, he sparked a backlash when, during Holi celebrations, he was heard in a purported video asking a police constable in uniform to do a “thumka” on a song or “face suspension”. The constable obliged and was later removed from Tej Pratap’s security detail.

In January, he created a sense of unease in party circles after claiming that the NDA government of Nitish Kumar would be brought down soon and that the “next CM is sitting right in front of you”. He made the statement though the party had authorised his brother to take all major decisions. In October 2022, Tej Pratap Yadav shocked everyone, including his father, when he lashed out at senior party leader and former minister Shyam Rajak, calling him an “RSS agent”, because he was not seated near his father or brother at the RJD’s national executive in Delhi.

According to RJD insiders, Tej Pratap has been unhappy ever since the rise of Tejashwi, which began in 2013. He did not rebel at the time, instead choosing to focus on spiritual pursuits — he is a devotee of Lord Krishna. His political ambitions came to the fore when the RJD came to power with the JD(U) in 2015. Tej Pratap pressured his father to give him a good ministry after threatening a rebellion, according to party insiders. He ultimately managed to land the important health portfolio.

Later, Tej Pratap changed his tune, saying he was “Krishna” to his brother’s “Arjuna”. However, he never seemingly overcame his sense of insecurity and tried to pressure his family for tickets for his supporters in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the 2020 Bihar polls. With Tejashwi further cementing his position as his father’s heir apparent after the 2020 elections, Tej Pratap’s position in the party shrank. When the RJD and the JD(U) again joined hands to form the government in 2022, Tej Pratap was appointed the state environment minister.