Tejashwi Yadav Appointed RJD's New National Working President

Patna:

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) now has a new chief. Yadav family scion and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has been appointed the party's national working president by Lalu Prasad Yadav, giving the party a young face to boost its presence in Bihar's vibrant politics. "Dawn of a New Era! Shri Tejashwi Yadav Ji has been appointed as the National Executive President of Rashtriya Janata Dal," the party posted on its official X handle.

The announcement was made at the inaugural session of the RJD's national executive meeting, attended by Lalu Yadav and his wife, Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers of Bihar. Lalu Yadav handed the appointment letter to his son Tejashwi Yadav in the presence of other top leaders.

Tejashwi, the youngest son of the chief minister couple, has always been seen as the de facto leader of the party after his father, despite having an elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav. With Tej Pratap thrown out of the party by his father last year, the younger son now must carry forward the family's political legacy.

A budding cricketer who once played for the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Tejashwi Yadav isn't new to politics. In the 2020 state elections, under his leadership, the RJD emerged as the largest party in the assembly and shared power for a brief period alongside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In the recent elections, however, RJD was pushed to the third position despite Yadav's fiery campaigning, as rivals BJP and JDU emerged stronger than earlier.

Read: Inside Track On Lalu Family Feud: Tejashwi Refused Opposition Leader Role

Yadav's appointment comes months after a family dispute involving his sister, Rohini Acharya, which exposed cracks in one of Bihar's most influential families. Acharya, who had accused her brother of throwing a slipper at her, didn't wait to take a swipe. In a post moments after the news broke of his appointment, she branded it the "coronation of a prince-turned-puppet."

"At the pinnacle of politics, in a way, the grand finale of a man's glorious innings, congratulations to the sycophants and the "infiltrator gang" on the coronation of the prince who they turned into a puppet," she said.

Tejashwi Yadav's Life and Career

Tejashwi Yadav was born on November 9, 1989, in Gopalganj, the youngest among nine siblings, with seven sisters and a brother. Initially raised in Patna, he later moved to Delhi and attended the Delhi Public School, RK Puram. However, he had dropped out before completing Class 12.

An avid cricket enthusiast, the all-rounder Yadav captained his school team and represented India in the Under-19 World Cup. Between 2008 and 2012, he was part of the Delhi Daredevils squad but could not make his IPL debut. While his cricket career was short-lived, it helped him gain popularity among the youth in Bihar.

Tejashwi entered politics in 2010 while still pursuing cricket. Mentored by his father, he started campaigning for the RJD and contributed to modernising the party's digital outreach and campaign strategies. His early involvement laid the foundation for his rapid rise in Bihar politics.

In 2015, Tejashwi won his debut election as part of the Mahagathbandhan from Raghopur. At 26, he became the state's youngest-ever deputy chief minister. He assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition after Nitish Kumar left the alliance in 2017. He became the RJD's de facto leader in 2018.