Patna: Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son and Hasanpur MLA, Tej Pratap Yadav, on Saturday, announced the launch of his own political party ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Named the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), the party was formally registered in 2020 and has now been allotted the blackboard symbol by the Election Commission.
Making the announcement at a large gathering of party workers, Tej Pratap declared the formation of a new coalition — Bihar Alliance — through which he plans to contest the upcoming state polls.
“I am not hungry for the post of Chief Minister. For me, the entire Bihar is my family,” he said, when asked about his differences with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leadership.
On being questioned about past remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, Tej Pratap said, “There should be no politics on mothers — whether by Congress, BJP or anyone else. Whoever does so will be cursed by God.”
Tej Pratap’s announcement comes after he was expelled from the RJD and the Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family for six years, earlier this year, following a controversy triggered by photos of him with a woman named Anuskha Yadav surfacing on social media.
Since then, Tej Pratap has declared his intention to contest from the Mahua Assembly constituency, a seat he previously represented in 2015.
Despite his expulsion from the RJD, Tej Pratap has remained politically active.
Recently, he was seen in Raghopur, the stronghold of his younger brother and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, where his social work drew attention.
A video that went viral, shared by his sister Rohini Acharya, showed Tej Pratap providing food, water, and shelter to flood-affected villagers at his residence late on Thursday night.
He personally arranged their stay and extended financial help.
“Service to the poor and needy is the true service of God,” Tej Pratap remarked while distributing relief.
With the Assembly elections approaching, his independent political move has added a fresh twist to Bihar’s already charged political atmosphere.
His presence in Raghopur and the launch of his own party are being seen as signals of a new power struggle within the Yadav family and a potential challenge to RJD’s dominance in the state.
(IANS)
