Tej Pratap Unfollows Tejashwi on X, Deepens Yadav Family Rift Before Bihar Polls

A dramatic family rift within Bihar’s powerful Yadav clan has taken center stage ahead of the state’s Assembly elections, as Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, unfollowed his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav on X on October 12, 2025. This public gesture, following his earlier unfollows of sisters Misa and Hema Yadav, leaves Tej Pratap following only five accounts, including his parents, Lalu and Rabri Devi, and sister Raj Lakshmi Yadav. Concurrently, as the leader of the newly formed Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), he announced that his party will unveil its candidate list on October 13, positioning himself as a disruptive force in Bihar’s volatile political landscape.

Tej Pratap, expelled from the RJD in 2024 over a controversial Facebook post claiming a long-term relationship—a claim he attributed to a hacked account—has declared his candidacy for the Mahua constituency, which he won in 2015 under the RJD banner. “Parso jordaar ailaan hoga (day after tomorrow, big announcements will be made),” he told the media, confirming his intent to challenge RJD’s incumbent MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan in Mahua. His cryptic remark, “Everyone is coming to meet me,” hints at potential alliances, stirring speculation as the November 6 and 11 polls approach, with vote counting set for November 14. The move threatens to fracture the RJD’s Yadav voter base, a critical demographic in Bihar’s caste-driven politics.

The roots of Tej Pratap’s estrangement lie in personal and political turmoil, notably his brief marriage to Aishwarya Rai, granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai. Married in 2018, the couple separated months later amid Aishwarya’s allegations of mistreatment, with their divorce still pending. The 2024 Facebook controversy, which revived scrutiny of his personal life, led to his RJD expulsion for breaching “moral and social values.” Undeterred, Tej Pratap launched JJD, positioning it as a new contender in a field already crowded by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), and the INDIA bloc, spearheaded by Tejashwi’s RJD alongside Congress, CPI(ML), CPI, CPM, and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party.

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Adding complexity,UA further complexity, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party has claimed all 243 seats, intensifying the electoral scramble. The INDIA bloc, banking on job creation promises, aims to unseat Nitish Kumar’s NDA, while Tej Pratap’s JJD could siphon votes from the RJD. His X unfollow of Tejashwi amplifies perceptions of a fractured dynasty, potentially weakening the opposition’s cohesion. With seat-sharing talks ongoing and the BJP finalizing candidates, the sibling rift could tilt the balance in favor of the NDA, especially in Yadav-dominated constituencies like Mahua.

As Bihar’s two-phase elections near, Tej Pratap’s rebellion and social media antics underscore the volatile interplay of family and politics. His JJD’s candidate list, due October 13, could reshape the campaign, particularly if he secures strategic alliances. The Yadav schism, set against the backdrop of Jan Suraaj’s ambitious entry, promises a contentious race. Whether Tej Pratap’s bid for independence disrupts the RJD’s momentum or fades into irrelevance will hinge on voter sentiment and his ability to rally support, making this family feud a defining subplot of Bihar’s 2025 electoral saga.

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