LALU’S ‘LAL’ FACES ALL-ROUND PROBLEMS

LALU’S ‘LAL’ FACES ALL-ROUND PROBLEMS

14-OCT-ENG 11

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-----------------------The Bihar Assembly elections have been announced, but for Tejashwi Yadav, the biggest face of the opposition and RJD's crown prince, the path to the Chief Minister's seat is proving to be a thorny one. He is trapped in a political maze where challenges are raining down on him from all sides. His brother and sister have raised the banner of rebellion, while allies in the Mahagathbandhan are squaring off over seat-sharing. Meanwhile, Prashant Kishore is poised to directly challenge him in his stronghold of Raghopur, and the threat of a court verdict in the "Land for Jobs" scam looms large over him.

Tejashwi's biggest problem has become his own people. Angered by being marginalized within the party and family, elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is now openly in the fray. By forming his new party, the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), he is not only attacking Tejashwi, but on Sunday, he unfollowed Tejashwi on the social media site "X," making public the turmoil within the Lalu family. Now, he follows only his parents and one sister.

The rebellious tone isn't limited to Tej Pratap. Rohini Acharya, the sister who gave her kidney to Lalu Prasad Yadav to give him new life, is also showing her attitude. Displeased with Sanjay Yadav, a close friend of Tejashwi, Rohini launched such a front on social media that, after her father's intervention, he too unfollowed all family members. This family feud is undermining Tejashwi's image, in which he claims to take the family and party together.

Tejashwi's path is not easy outside the home either. The seat-sharing issue in the Grand Alliance has become a thorn in his side. While the Congress may have softened its earlier demand for 70 seats to 55-60, it has not yet officially declared Tejashwi as its CM face. Meanwhile, Mukesh Sahni's VIP party is adamant on demanding 25 seats and the post of Deputy Chief Minister, which the RJD does not accept. Left parties are upset with this delay and believe it will directly impact the election results. Amid this tussle, the departure of two sitting RJD MLAs (Prakash Veer and Vibha Devi) to the BJP indicates that the opposition's infiltration is also at its peak.

Prashant Kishore (PK) of Jan Suraj is leaving no stone unturned to increase Tejashwi's troubles. PK, who has consistently questioned Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi's abilities, has now made the biggest move. He has announced that his party is considering contesting from Tejashwi's impregnable fortress, Raghopur. PK taunted Tejashwi, saying, "He is scared; he should contest from two seats, because his fate in Raghopur will be like Rahul Gandhi's Amethi in 2019." If PK himself enters the fray, this will become the most high-profile and bitter contest of the Bihar elections.

Amid all this political turmoil, a ruling by Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Monday could have a profound impact on the political future of the Lalu family, and especially Tejashwi. Lalu, Rabri, and Tejashwi are all accused in the 'Land for Jobs' scam. If the verdict goes against them, it would be a devastating blow to the RJD just before the elections and give the BJP a major weapon on the corruption issue.

Overall, Tejashwi Yadav is facing the toughest test of his political career. How he handles this all-out assault from within, within the alliance, outside challenges, and legal maneuvering will determine the course of Bihar's electoral fortunes.