Tej Pratap Yadav Questions Brother Tejashwi’s Claim as ‘Jan Nayak’, Credits Father for His Rise

Mahua MLA Tej Pratap emphasizes his own developmental work and denies interest in rejoining RJD

Patna, Oct 2025: Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son and Janshakti Janata Dal chief, Tej Pratap Yadav, launched a sharp attack on his younger brother, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, on Saturday, asserting that Tejashwi cannot claim the title of “Jan Nayak” and owes his political position entirely to their father.

Speaking to reporters in Patna, Tej Pratap said, “Tejashwi can never be a Jan Nayak. Whatever he is today is because of my father, Lalu Prasad Yadav. When Tejashwi achieves something on his own merit, I will be the first to praise him and call him a Jan Nayak. At present, Jan Nayaks are leaders like Karpoori Thakur, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Lalu Prasad Yadav.” His remarks came in response to an RJD poster displayed outside its Patna office projecting Tejashwi as a “Nayak.”

Tej Pratap, who is contesting from the Mahua Assembly constituency in Vaishali district, claimed his election campaign is proceeding smoothly. “I am getting an excellent response in Mahua. There is no challenge for me. I helped set up a medical college here and now plan to build an engineering college and a cricket stadium. I will even organize an India-Pakistan cricket match in Mahua,” he said.

He also responded humorously to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks about LED lights, stating, “LED lights are installed in my car. Our party symbol is a blackboard. We are not living in the lantern era anymore; our cars have LED lights.”

Asked whether he would consider rejoining the RJD if offered a position, Tej Pratap firmly said he is not greedy for power and would reject such an offer.

Tej Pratap has a long political career, having represented Mahua in 2015 and served as Health Minister in the Grand Alliance government led by Nitish Kumar. In 2020, he contested and won from the Hasanpur Assembly seat in Samastipur district on an RJD ticket.

The senior Yadav’s comments highlight the continuing public rivalry within the Yadav family, with Tej Pratap positioning himself as a developmental leader focusing on infrastructure projects and local initiatives, while distinguishing his political identity from that of his younger brother.