Challenging parents’ legacy likely to cost Tej Pratap more than he assumed
New Delhi: Even as his alma mater, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), continue to experience a downward spiral in polling trends coming from Bihar, Tej Pratap Yadav himself seems poised for a defeat from Mahua Assembly constituency, reflecting he has still not been able to step out of dynastic politics and win the people’s confidence, contrary to his earlier claims.
After being suspended from the RJD and trying to step out of father Lalu Prasad’s legacy, Tej Pratap tried to plough an independent political furrow with his Janshakti Janta Dal (JJD). Late last month, he had scoffed at his younger brother Tejashwi as a kid still in their father’s shadow, while he claimed himself to have won the people’s faith. In his path to establish himself as an independent, influential leader in Bihar’s already crowded hustings, he chose to contest from the Mahua Assembly constituency.
In the 2015 state polls, contesting as an RJD candidate from Mahua, he defeated the closest challenger from Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) or HAMS, Ravindra Ray, by more than 28,000 votes. In 2020, he filed his nomination, again for the RJD, this time from Hasanpur, winning again with a margin of about 21,000 votes over the runner-up Janata Dal (United) candidate. In this election, at the time of writing, he is trailing by close to 44,000 votes behind Sanjay Kumar Singh of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), who is in pole position, and trailing RJD’s Mukesh Kumar Raushan by a margin of over 6,000.
Having pledged to never return to the RJD till his last breath, the Lalu scion will definitely need to reflect upon his political career if he is not able to take over the lead position in Mahua by the end of counting.
As the son of the Chief Minister parents and carrying the Yadav legacy, Tej Pratap carries both inheritance and expectation. Converting that inheritance into a sustained political campaign will depend on his ability to win the mandate on merit and go beyond headline-grabbing antics. He has frequently been in the news for his outspoken style and high-profile interventions in public life.
The 37-year-old leader has served as state minister with portfolios that have included Health, Environment and Forests, and Backward Class Welfare during successive terms in coalition governments. His ministerial appointments underscored both his rapid political ascent and the influence of his family’s political legacy in Bihar.
His personal life – including a widely-publicised marital dispute – has sometimes overshadowed policy work in the headlines, reinforcing his image as a controversial figure rather than a conventional technocratic politician. More than political achievements, he attracts media attention for statements and actions that are regarded as amusing and sometimes contentious.
The question is, will he be able to turn around, build and solidify a dependable vote base independent of his family’s core followers, and build his new party to challenge his own challengers, someday? The answer lies in the future, but it’ll be a long and lonely walk ahead if he decides to plough the political furrow all by himself, all along.