RJD Smells An Opportunity To Bring Back Lalu's Estranged Children To Party Fold During MLC Polls

Patna: The upcoming MLC polls for 10 seats in Bihar have come as an opportunity for reconciliation in Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad’s family.

Efforts are on to bring back Lalu-Rabri Devi’s estranged elder son Tej Pratap Yadav and daughter Rohini Acharya to RJD fold.

Of the 10 seats, the RJD could win just one. Though there are several claimants for the ticket, Lalu, Rabri and a section of the leaders want the party to field either former minister Tej Pratap or Rohini, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Saran constituency in the state in 2024.

“Rabri ji wants the party to nominate Tej Pratap for the MLC poll. She is saying her son should be brought back to the family and the party. Lalu ji also wants the same, but at the same time, he has asserted that the final decision shall be taken by the party’s national working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav,” a senior RJD leader told ETV Bharat.

The RJD leader said that Lalu and Rabri also want Rohini, who is settled with her husband and children in Singapore, to be assuaged by giving her a position either in the legislative council or the party.

Another RJD leader also added that the issue was being discussed in the Lalu family and asserted that the party would become stronger if Tej Pratap returned to its fold, while Rohini also started participating in its activities with full fervour.

"I am privy to the discussion. One point of contention is Tej Pratap's Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD). He wants to contest from his own party, while our leaders want him to contest from the RJD," he added.

RJD general secretary and spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan did not deny the possibility of a ticket for Tej Pratap or Rohini, but told ETV Bharat: “The party’s parliamentary board and legislature party have authorised Tejashwi to choose the candidate for the council polls. His decision will be final.”

Tejashwi is presently in Delhi and is expected to return to Patna around June 6.

The last date for filing nominations for the MLC election is June 8, and voting, if necessary will be held on June 18.

Sources said that he would announce the Council candidate’s name after returning.

However, the main impediment to Rabri and Lalu's wishes is that the terms of two heavyweight party MLCs – Sunil Kumar Singh and Mohammad Farooq – are ending, and both are lobbying for another opportunity to contest.

Besides, a section of the RJD believes that either former minister Shiv Chandra Ram, who hails from the Dalit community, or another leader Shiv Narayan Mahto should be given an opportunity to become an MLC, if the party is serious about attracting the votes of the scheduled castes or the extremely backward classes, a majority of whom presently lean towards the National Democratic Alliance.

Incidentally, Tej Pratap participated in the first birthday bash of Tejashwi’s year-old son Iraz Yadav at the residence of Lalu’s daughter Ragini Yadav in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) on May 27.

He was seen carrying Tejashwi’s daughter Katyayani in his arms during the celebration. It was seen as a significant thaw in the estranged ties between him and the family.

Though the entire family was present at the birthday function, Rohini was conspicuous by her absence.

However, Lalu went to Singapore on Saturday (May 30) for a medical check-up and is staying with her, indicating that the situation was turning normal.

In fact, Rohini, who donated one of her kidneys to Lalu in 2022 for transplant, herself posted videos and photos showing the loads of gifts – sweets, fruits, and other things – carried by him to Singapore.

He is still present there and was a part of her birthday celebrations on June 1.

Lalu had disowned Tej Pratap and thrown him out of the RJD in May 2025 after the latter took to social media to make public his long-standing relationship with a girl.

The claim came at a time a divorce case between him and his wife Aishwarya Rai, who happens to be the granddaughter of former chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai, is pending in a Patna court.

Tej Pratap went on to form Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) and contested 45 seats in the November 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. He himself contested from Mahua constituency in Vaishali district.

However, neither he nor his party won any seat in the polls.

On the other hand, Rohini left the residence of her parents in a huff on November 15 last year, a day after the Assembly election result.

She alleged physical and verbal abuse after questioning the poor performance of the RJD in the polls and asking who would take the responsibility of the loss.

Rohini had followed it up by announcing that she has severed ties with her family and quit politics. However, she has mellowed down over the past few months.

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