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

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday expelled his eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav from the party for six years and snapped ties with him for “irresponsible behaviour not in accordance” with the family’s “values and traditions”.

In a post on X, the former Bihar Chief Minister wrote, “Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. My eldest son’s activities, public conduct, and irresponsible behaviour are not in accordance with our family values and traditions. Therefore, due to the current circumstances, I am removing him from the party and family. From now on, he will not have any role of any kind in the party and family. He is expelled from the party for six years.”

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.”

In 2018, Tej Pratap wed Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of ex-Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai. Nonetheless, several months afterward, the couple submitted divorce papers. The issue is presently awaiting resolution in a family court in Patna. In July 2022, Tej Pratap warned he would disclose “numerous video recordings and additional proof to demonstrate the physical and verbal mistreatment endured by me, my parents, and my siblings” following a news site’s article regarding the divorce case.

“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 representative Asit Nath Tiwari stated that Lalu’s oldest son faced consequences for speaking the truth. Tej Pratap, a two-term MLA and ex-state minister, is familiar with controversies and has consistently been seen as a trouble-maker in RJD circles. In March, he triggered outrage when, during Holi festivities, he was allegedly recorded telling a uniformed police constable to perform a “thumka” to a song or “risk suspension.” The constable complied and was subsequently taken off Tej Pratap’s security team.

In January, he stirred discomfort among party members by asserting that Nitish Kumar’s NDA government would soon collapse and that the “next CM is right here before you.” He issued the statement even though the party had empowered his brother to make all key decisions. In October 2022, Tej Pratap Yadav surprised everyone, even his father, when he attacked senior party figure and former minister Shyam Rajak, labeling him an “RSS agent” for not being positioned close to his father or brother during the RJD’s national executive meeting in Delhi.

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.