Patna : In a dramatic turn of events, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday expelled his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party for six years, citing repeated acts of indiscipline and behaviour he claimed were at odds with both family values and the party’s ethos of social justice.
In a stern public statement, Lalu Yadav said, “Tej Pratap’s conduct and public behaviour have consistently deviated from our principles. Given the current circumstances, I am removing him from both the party and the family. He will no longer have any role going forward.”
The unprecedented move comes in the wake of a controversial social media post—now deleted—shared from Tej Pratap’s verified Facebook account. The post featured a photo of him with a woman identified as Anushka Yadav and claimed the two had been in a 12-year-long relationship. The post, captioned with emotional declarations of love, raised a storm online, with users questioning his marriage to Aishwarya Rai, daughter of former Bihar minister Chandrika Rai, in 2018, despite the alleged long-standing affair. Tej Pratap and Aishwarya separated shortly after their wedding.
निजी जीवन में नैतिक मूल्यों की अवहेलना करना हमारे सामाजिक न्याय के लिए सामूहिक संघर्ष को कमज़ोर करता है। ज्येष्ठ पुत्र की गतिविधि, लोक आचरण तथा गैर जिम्मेदाराना व्यवहार हमारे पारिवारिक मूल्यों और संस्कारों के अनुरूप नहीं है। अतएव उपरोक्त परिस्थितियों के चलते उसे पार्टी और परिवार…
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) May 25, 2025
Facing backlash, Tej Pratap dismissed the post as fake, claiming his account had been hacked. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to say, “My platform was hacked and the photos were edited wrongfully.”
This video of the Secret Marriage of #TejPratapYadav is going to rock the Lalu Family and Bihar Politics 🔥
Is it possible , that this video is leaked by Tejashwi Yadav to keep the party and family in his clutches as Tej Pratap lately is actively trying to gain his position in… pic.twitter.com/lVpFBXfKkB
— Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaala) May 25, 2025
The scandal drew sharp reactions from within the RJD family. Younger brother and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav distanced himself from the episode, stating, “Such things cannot be tolerated. He is an adult and free to make personal choices, but our party president has made the stand clear.”
Lalu’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, also weighed in with a pointed remark on X: “Those who uphold family values and decency never face questions. Those who forsake dignity draw criticism.”
The expulsion has dealt a fresh blow to the RJD as it gears up for the crucial Bihar Assembly elections later this year. Political observers say the controversy risks undermining the party’s image and cohesion at a time when unity is essential.
This internal fallout marks a rare public rebuke in one of India’s most prominent political families, signaling a deeper rift that could reshape the RJD’s future dynamics.
