Lalu Yadav At Son Tej Pratap's Home. Unity Message From RJD First Family?

Nearly eight months after he expelled his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party over a Facebook post, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) founder and veteran politician Lalu Prasad Yadav turned up at Tej Pratap's home to attend a Dhai Chura feast on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

This comes a day after Tej Pratap, a former minister and a former MLA, invited his father Lalu Prasad Yadav and younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, for the Dahi Chura gathering.

Tej Pratap's invitation and Lalu Yadav's appearance at his home are significant because they signal a rapprochement within the RJD first family. Adding to the significance is the Bihar election held in November. The RJD suffered a defeat, and the NDA scored a thumping win. The RJD first family was a divided house in this election, with Tej Pratap fighting separately under the banner of Janshakti Janata Dal. While RJD won 25 seats, Tej Pratap's party won none.

Against this backdrop, this family reunion is being seen as a message of unity from the RJD first family coming together in difficult times. In fact, following his visit to his father's 10, Circular Road, residence in Patna yesterday, Tej Pratap posted pictures with Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi, mother Rabri Devi, and niece Katyayini. And with Lalu Prasad attending today's event, a page may have been turned.

Lalu Prasad Yadav expelled Tej Pratap in May over a social media post about his relationship status that was later deleted. Announcing the decision to expel him, Lalu Prasad Yadav said that "ignoring moral values" in personal life weakens the community's struggle for social justice.

At the centre of the row was a photograph of Tej Pratap with a woman. The post identified the woman as Anushka Yadav and said she and the RJD leader had been in a relationship for 12 years. "I am Tej Pratap Yadav and the girl who is seen with me in this picture is Anushka Yadav. We have known each other for the last 12 years and love each other deeply. We have been in a relationship throughout these years. I wanted to share this with all of you for a long time, but couldn't find the right words. Today, through this post, I am opening my heart to you. I hope you all will understand."

The post drew critical remarks as many asked why the RJD leader married former Bihar Minister Chandrika Rai's daughter Aishwarya in 2018 if he was already in a relationship. Tej Pratap and Aishwarya had separated months after the wedding.

Shortly after, the post was deleted and Tej Pratap claimed his profile had been hacked. "My social media platform was hacked and my photographs were edited wrongfully," he wrote.

Lalu Yadav's move to expel Tej Pratap was supported by others in the family, including Tejashwi Yadav. Tej Pratap later formed his own party and challenged RJD in some seats, ending with a duck.