A Medical College, Lost Legacy And an Uphill Multipolar Fight Faces Lalu’s Son Tej Pratap in Mahua

Mahua: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has two sons in the Bihar assembly election fray. While one, Tejashwi, has been announced as the opposition Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, the other, Tej Pratap Yadav is seemingly fighting a lone multipolar battle from a newly formed party in Mahua, separated from the family bastion of Raghopur by the waters of the Ganga.

The waters of the Ganga separate not just the two constituencies in Vaishali district, but also distinctly mark the difference in the electoral contests that the two Yadav sons are facing. While in Raghopur, Tejashwi is seeking a third term, with his family’s support, in what is essentially a straight contest between the RJD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in Mahua, Tej Pratap, who has been expelled from the party, is facing a multi-polar contest upon returning to the constituency after a gap of five years, seeking re-election, claiming credit for the establishment of a medical college.

In May, Lalu Prasad expelled his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the RJD for six years, citing “irresponsible behaviour” and actions not in accordance with “family values and traditions.” The action came after a Facebook post was shared from Tej Pratap’s profile including pictures with a woman and a caption that indicated that he had been in a relationship with her for 12 years. Tej Pratap said that his profile had been hacked and was an attempt to “defame and harass” him. On September 26, just weeks before the elections were announced Tej Pratap announced the formation of his party, Janshakti Janata Dal, with the commitment for “complete development of Bihar.”

“Our goal is to bring about a complete transformation in Bihar and build a new system. We are prepared to fight a long battle for the complete development of Bihar,” he announced.

The difference in trajectories of Lalu Prasad’s two sons in this election was made clear when both filed their nomination papers in Vaishali district. On October 15 Tejashwi was accompanied by his parents, both former chief ministers, and his sister Misa Bharti, a Lok Sabha MP; Tej Pratap went with a photograph of his grandmother Marchhayiya Devi, in hand a day later to file his papers.

The government medical college that has brought support for Tej Pratap Yadav in Mahua. Photo: Sravasti Dasgupta

The emotional imagery has evoked support from locals in Mahua, who say that family legacy aside, the establishment of the Government Medical College in Mahua has made him a formidable candidate in the election.

“He has formed his own party, but his family is not with him. His parents are not supporting him, so at least we should. But most importantly he has got the medical college sanctioned and established here, which is why there is large support for him across castes,” said Lakhinder Paswan, a farmer in Chhitwara Kapur village.

While Tej Pratap has said that he would “prefer to die than return to RJD,” he has returned to the constituency which first made him an MLA in 2015. After winning from Mahua in 2015, he had announced that he would build a medical college. In 2020 he shifted to Samastipur’s Hasanpur constituency, which he won.

“He had promised to get the medical college built and he has done so. Moreover he has not just got it built, he has fought to get it done,” said Birendra Kumar Yadav.

While the medical college is not yet operational, that the construction is almost complete has enthused locals about Tej Pratap delivering on his promises.

Tej Pratap himself has called the medical college "a historic development", hoping that it will help him win the election. However, he faces an uphill battle in Mahua where he is facing his former party colleague, RJD’s sitting MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan. Raushan is considered to be a close aide of Tej Pratap’s brother Tejashwi. Also in the fray is the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA’s) candidate from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)'s (LJP(RV)) Sanjay Singh.

“Here the fight is between Sanjay Singh and Tej Pratap,” said Vakeel Singh who is a Rajput like the LJP(RV) candidate, just outside Mahua town.

“Things have changed this time because in 2020, Chirag Paswan was not with the NDA but this time he is,” he said.

Paswan who had contested the 2020 elections independently and caused significant reverses to chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) is part of the NDA in the 2025 elections. The NDA is looking to gain from its rainbow coalition which this time also includes Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) as well as Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).

The electoral contest, in Mahua, according to Singh, has come down to Tej Pratap and Singh, which could spell trouble for the Mahagathbandhan, which is already facing friendly contests among its constituent members on at least eight seats.

While the Mahua constituency has a large number of Yadavs, the multipolarity of the contest may affect him adversely. Not just Paswan joining the NDA, but the traditional base of the RJD and Lalu Prasad Yadav, Muslims and Yadavs, too can see a split between Tej Pratap and the RJD’s Raushan as well as former JD(U) leader Ashma Parveen who is contesting as an independent candidate from Mahua after being denied a ticket from the party. Apart from Yadavs and Rajput, Kushwaha, Paswan, and Muslim voters too have a sizeable population in the constituency.

“If the Mahua seat had been given to Kushwaha’s party then maybe it would be even more difficult for Tej Pratap. The medical college is a reality, something that Tej Pratap has already delivered. Yadav votes may however split between Tej Pratap and the RJD,” said Mukesh Kumar Kushwaha.

Vakil Singh (extreme left) stands with Savita Devi and other family members in Mahua. Photo: Sravasti Dasgupta

Adding to the mix in Mahua, is the women’s vote, often considered as the silent voter that makes the difference, with their larger voter turnout. Women in Mahua that The Wire spoke to said majority had received Rs 10,000 from the Nitish Kumar government, which they said had done good work in the last two decades, but whether they would vote for the NDA or not will only become clear later.

“We don’t like to waste our vote. We listen to everything that everyone says and then we only vote for the candidate that is likely to win,” said Savita Devi.

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