On Saturday, Tejashwi clarified on Twitter that he had been unwell and was being treated.
Tejashwi Yadav will not resign like Rahul Gandhi did, the RJD today said in a snub to ally Congress, which had called for the Bihar leader's resignation over the opposition alliance's national election debacle. The assertion came on a day Lalu Yadav's son showed up in parliament for the first time after days of absence.
"Tejashwi is not a leader who will leave the responsibility of leading the opposition midway," said RJD legislator and spokesperson Bhai Virendra.
A few Congress legislators have demanded that Tejashwi Yadav, who led the opposition coalition in Bihar to a comprehensive defeat in the national election, follow the example of their chief Rahul Gandhi, who announced his resignation in a letter yesterday owning responsibility for the Congress's collapse in the polls.
The RJD or Rashtriya Janata Dal rushed to the defence of its 29-year-old acting chief - Tejashwi handled the party campaign in the absence of his jailed father Lalu Yadav -- as Congress legislators demanded his resignation.
Congress's Rajesh Kumar argued that Tejashwi Yadav should be accountable as he was the face of opposition mahagatabandhan and leading its campaign in Bihar.
"Tejashwi should learn from Rahul Gandhi and make way for chance in the leadership to strengthen the grand alliance," Rajesh Kumar said.
Bhai Virendra said Tejashwi had been firmly advised not to take any such step because if he did, then all RJD legislators would follow him.
"We have already advised him not to do such things. RJD can't afford such resignations as party supremo Lalu Yadav is still in jail. No one knows when he will get the bail as there 're too many complications in his bail now," the RJD spokesperson said.
RJD leaders like Bhola Yadav also clarified that Tejashwi had not offered to quit, as reported by some regional channels. Tejashwi's prolonged absence after the RJD's washout fueled many theories and reports.
Till today, the cricketer-turned-fiery politician had skipped the Bihar assembly session and also party meetings despite being in Patna.
On Saturday, Tejashwi clarified on Twitter that he had been unwell and was being treated.
That was the first time he spoke since the RJD ended up with just one of Bihar's 40 seats in the election. The ruling JDU-BJP combine won 39 seats.
RJD chief Lalu Yadav reportedly fell ill in despair and barely ate for some time, shocked by the scale of defeat.