Tej Pratap Yadav to contest from Mahua assembly seat in Bihar polls

Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav, who was recently expelled from the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) by his father and the party's founding president Lalu Prasad Yadav, has announced that he will contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections from Mahua seat in Vaishali district as an Independent candidate.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Patna on Saturday evening, Tej Pratap, currently the MLA of Hasanpur seat in Samastipur district, said, "Yes, this time, I will contest the elections from Mahua assembly seat as an Independent candidate. My opponents must have started to feel an itch.

"I have people's support... a large number of people are now connected with my 'Team Tej Pratap Yadav', a social media platform to reach out to people."

He further claimed that chief minister Nitish Kumar would not retain his post after the assembly polls. "I am confident that chacha (Nitish) will not become the CM... those who would form the government, if they talk about youth, employment, education, and health, Tej Pratap Yadav will stand with them," he said.

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The former Bihar minister was expelled from the party for six years on 25 May by his father Lalu Prasad.

He was expelled a day after he reportedly confessed on social media to being "in a relationship" with a woman named Anushka. He, however, later deleted the Facebook post with a claim that his page was "hacked". Lalu Prasad also disowned Tej Pratap due to his "irresponsible behaviour".

A few days after his expulsion from the party, Tej Pratap had alleged that there was a "conspiracy" to drive a wedge between him and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav.

He had voiced his sentiments in a couple of posts on his X handle, blaming the crisis on 'Jaichand', a metaphor for traitors.

His expulsion came barely a few months ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, which the RJD will fight under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav. Born to Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers of Bihar, the two brothers are among four of nine siblings active in politics.

Tej Pratap Yadav had made his political debut in the assembly polls of 2015, and is a second-term MLA with two brief stints in the state cabinet.