From Cricket To Politics, 5 Facts About Tejashwi Yadav

Years before he entered politics, Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, was a budding cricketer who plied his trade for Jharkhand in domestic cricket and Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL). As Bihar held another assembly election, the son of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi -- both former chief ministers -- is preparing for an innings that may catapult him to the most powerful office in the state.

However, the road to power for Tejashwi is a difficult one, with a seasoned campaigner like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, backed by the might of the BJP in the Centre, standing in the way.

Tejashwi Yadav's Journey So Far

• Born on November 9, 1989, in Gopalganj, Tejashwi Yadav is the youngest son of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi. He is the youngest among nine siblings, with seven sisters and a brother. Raised in Patna, he later moved to Delhi.
• Tejashwi attended Delhi Public School, RK Puram, but dropped out before completing Class 12. From a young age, he showed a keen interest in cricket. An all-rounder, he also captained his school team. He represented India in the Under-19 World Cup and was part of the Delhi Daredevils squad between 2008 and 2012. He never made his IPL debut. While his cricket career was short-lived, it helped him gain popularity among the youth in Bihar.
• Tejashwi's political journey began in 2010, while he was still pursuing cricket. Under the mentorship of his parents, 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 the 2015 Bihar elections, Tejashwi contested from Raghopur as part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and won. At 26, he became Bihar's youngest-ever deputy chief minister, holding portfolios such as PWD, forests and environment. After Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan in 2017, Tejashwi assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition.
• He became the de facto leader of the RJD in 2018. He actively contributed to relief efforts during the 2019 Bihar floods and led the party as the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan in the 2020 elections. Although the alliance won 110 seats, it fell short of forming the government.