As Tej Pratap warms up to BJP, why Lalu is signalling a thaw in RJD chill

On the sidelines of his Dahi Chuda event on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in Patna Wednesday, Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav, without naming any parties, said he would “accept any responsibility given to him”.

Tej Pratap, who had been expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by his father and party supremo Lalu Prasad last May, hosted the Dahi Chuda feast amid speculation that he may join the BJP.

A day earlier, he had attended senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s Dahi Chuda event.

Among the attendees at Tej Pratap’s own event were Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Deputy CM Sinha, state ministers Ram Kripal Yadav and Ashok Choudhary, and his father Lalu. While Lalu’s presence at the event may have come as a surprise, his brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who is also the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Assembly, chose not to attend it despite being invited.

Though Lalu did not speak to the media, his presence alone sent ripples, with many viewing his attendance as a bid for “reconciliation” with his estranged elder son.

“After all, they (Lalu and Tej Pratap) are a family. They should be together on festive occasions,” said Deputy CM Sinha.

Last May, Tej Pratap had been expelled from the RJD after he, in a social media post, revealed a 12-year relationship with a woman despite being married to Aishwarya Rai, granddaughter of former Bihar CM Daroga Prasad Rai, since 2018. Though Tej Pratap later deleted the post, Lalu expelled him from the party for six years and even snapped the family ties with him for his “irresponsible behaviour not in accordance with the family’s values and traditions”.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Jan Shakti Janata Dal president Tej Pratap Yadav during Makar Sankranti in Patna on Wednesday. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)

Tej Pratap then went on to float his own party, the JJD, last September, two months ahead of the Bihar elections.

A former state minister and two-time MLA, Tej Pratap contested the Mahua Assembly seat in the elections as a JJD nominee but lost to the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)’s candidate.

But on Wednesday, Tej Pratap fuelled speculation about his political future. When asked if the BJP would nominate him as an MLC in Bihar’s Upper House, he said, “Everyone wants to grow in politics. My father also used to say that he dreamt of becoming the prime minister. If any responsibility is given to me, I will accept it. Tejashwi has been given the responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition.”

While Tej Pratap had earlier labelled the RJD as the party of “Jaichands (traitors)” and referred to the JJD as the “original party” of his father, sources said that he has been “exploring his options”, including joining the BJP and becoming an MLC in order to “stay afloat in state politics”.

He also tried to connect with the Janata Dal (United), but party supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not appear to have warm up to him so far, sources said.

On Tuesday, at Deputy CM Sinha’s Dahi Chuda event, when asked if he intended to join the NDA, Tej Pratap said, “We may have different political ideologies, but we share the same cultural ethos. As regards other things, you will get to know about it in due course.”

Patna saw two other Dahi Chuda feasts on Wednesday. While JD(U)’s Sonbarsa MLA Ratnesh Sada hosted it for the NDA leaders, the BJP also did the same for its party leaders. Without mentioning NDA ally LJP(RV), Sada reiterated how there had been “attempts to take away his seat” during the seat sharing negotiations for the Bihar polls, but Nitish Kumar ensured he contested from the same seat. Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh also attended the BJP event amid speculations that he may be nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the elections to be held in April when five Upper House seats from Bihar are set to fall vacant.

The Dahi Chuda feast to mark Makar Sankranti, generally held on January 14-15 and considered a show of camaraderie among rival politicians, is among few festivals during which leaders often send their political messages. The Iftar feast during the month of Ramzan is another event that carries political significance in Bihar.