Tej Pratap Yadav Love Controversy: From Lalus Political Heir To RJD Outsider

India.com

26-05-2025

Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Just a few months ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Lalu Yadav's family is again staring at troubled days. At the centre of the controversy is Tej Pratap Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo's elder son. Tej Pratap Yadav, has sparked a political storm with his open declaration of love on social media platforms, though, he later claimed that his account was hacked. Already facing accusations of corruption and nepotism, Lalu Yadav wasted no time — not even 24 hours — in sacrificing his elder son under political compulsion. Tej Pratap was once seen as the political heir of Lalu Prasad Yadav, being the elder son. But things have turned upside down in quick succession.
"Disregarding ethical values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct, and irresponsible behavior of the eldest son are not in line with our family values and traditions. Therefore, due to the aforementioned circumstances, I am distancing him from the party and the family. Henceforth, he will have no role of any kind in the party or the family. He is expelled from the party for 6 years. He is capable of discerning the good and bad, merits and flaws of his personal life. Those who maintain relations with him should make decisions at their own discretion. I have always been an advocate of public decorum in public life. The obedient members of the family have adopted and followed this principle in public life. Thank you," wrote Lalu Yadav on X.
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
Tej Pratap's Marriage Life, Wife Name
Tej Pratap Yadav got married to Aishwarya Rai in 2018. Rai is the granddaughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai. However, the marriage did not last long and Yadav filed for divorce within five months. The controversy spiralled into a high-profile legal battle with Aishwarya accusing Yadav of being a drug addict.
Now, Tej Pratap's social media post where he claimed to be in relation with Anushka Yadav for the past 12 years has given a new twist to the rumours. His maternal uncle Sadhu Yadav has now made fresh allegations claiming that Tej Pratap had relations with multiple girls. Now, a video has gone viral with people claiming it to be of the marriage of Anushka and Tej Pratap.
लालू परिवार में 'बवाल बा', तेज प्रताप यादव के साथ हो गया 'खेला'#RJD #TejPratapYadav #Bihar | @akhileshanandd pic.twitter.com/CPUtRUYdlz — Zee News (@ZeeNews) May 26, 2025
Tej Pratap's Controversial Past
Tej Pratap Yadav, who held the position of Bihar's Health Minister for a brief period between 2015 and 2017, has long remained an intriguing figure in the state's political landscape. Despite being older than his brother Tejashwi Yadav in reality, official records reflect him as the younger sibling. Now 37, Tej Pratap appears to have come to terms with Tejashwi—widely recognized as the face of the Grand Alliance and their father's political heir—leading the party's future.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Tej Pratap distanced himself from the party line, fielding three of his supporters as Independent candidates. He even launched his own political outfit, the 'Lalu-Rabri Morcha', to express his dissent. Eventually, he had to settle for the tagline 'Tej Raftaar, Tejashwi Sarkar,' seemingly satisfied with at least a symbolic role in the political arena. Though Tejashwi emerged as the clear leader, Tej Pratap remained hopeful of securing a significant, if secondary, position.
In 2020, Tej Pratap's sudden illness prompted concern among his family members, who quickly gathered around him. Not long after, both brothers were seen together at the Grand Alliance's seat-sharing announcement event. Tej Pratap was believed to have lobbied for ticket allocations to some of his close aides. While it's unclear how many of his recommendations were accepted, the party did shift his constituency from Mahua (Vaishali) to Hasanpur (Samastipur), considering it a more winnable seat.
Political Implications
However, expelling Tej Pratap Yadav from the family and the party is not going to cool things down. Instead, it has handed the JD(U)-BJP's double-engine government another weapon to attack the Yadav family.
What remains to be seen is whether Tej Pratap Yadav will remain silent or adopt a rebellious stance and become a pawn for opposition parties.
Political experts believe that while Tej Pratap Yadav doesn't have a personal vote base, if he takes a rebellious turn, it could prove embarrassing for both his party and his family. If he retaliates against his family, the BJP and JD(U) will not hesitate to use that as ammunition. It's believed that the political pressure from Tejashwi is what led to the disciplinary action against Tej Pratap.
Nearly two-thirds of Bihar's voters are under the age of 35. While Tejashwi Yadav has enjoyed popularity and acceptance among the youth, the controversy surrounding Tej Pratap Yadav might alienate young voters from the party — especially those who have shifted sides election after election based on local issues.