Lalu’s Elder Son Quits Party Position Ahead Of Polls

Patna: In a major development ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap has quit as convener of the party’s student wing on Thursday, apparently unhappy over his close aides being ignored during ticket distribution for the ensuing polls.

He made his announcement through a cryptic message on his Twitter handle, saying: “Naive are people who think that I am naive. I am aware of who is struggling.”

This move comes amid rumours of a rift in the Yadav clan. Tension has been brewing in the Yadav family for quite some time now. While younger brother Tejashwi Yadav has taken charge of the party’s affairs in Lalu’s absence, the role or the responsibility of the elder brother is still not clear.

Earlier, Tej Pratap had expressed his anger at being sidelined in the party. He had also claimed that he is being ignored by some leaders in the RJD and claimed that it was being done on instructions from “above”.

According to some reports, Tej Pratap’s latest move is a pressure tactic as the RJD prepares to announce its list of candidates for next week’s national election. Tej Pratap wants his close aides on that list.

Some sources believe the reason is that his estranged father-in-law Chandrika Rai is being fielded from the crucial Chhapra seat. Both Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi reportedly want Rai, an eight-time legislator, to contest from there. But Tej Pratap, who filed for divorce from his wife Aishwarya Rai six months after marrying her, is dead against it.