This decision came after a controversial announcement on social media by Tej Pratap on Saturday, in which he disclosed that he had been “in a relationship for 12 years” with a woman, even while still legally married with a divorce petition pending in family court. The post was subsequently deleted, and Tej Pratap claimed on X that his Facebook account had been “hacked.”
Lalu Prasad Yadav, without directly mentioning the social media incident, criticized his son’s actions and public demeanor in a statement shared on social media.
“Neglecting moral values in personal life undermines our collective fight for social justice,” he stated. He condemned Tej Pratap for actions “not in alignment with my family’s values” and declared, “He will have no role moving forward in the party or family. He is expelled from the party for six years.”
निजी जीवन में नैतिक मूल्यों की अवहेलना करना हमारे सामाजिक न्याय के लिए सामूहिक संघर्ष को कमज़ोर करता है। ज्येष्ठ पुत्र की गतिविधि, लोक आचरण तथा गैर जिम्मेदाराना व्यवहार हमारे पारिवारिक मूल्यों और संस्कारों के अनुरूप नहीं है। अतएव उपरोक्त परिस्थितियों के चलते उसे पार्टी और परिवार…
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) May 25, 2025
The expulsion comes just months ahead of the state elections, where the RJD will run under the leadership of Lalu’s younger son, Tejashwi Yadav.
Tej Pratap and Tejashwi, born to Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi—both former chief ministers of Bihar—are among nine siblings, four of whom are active in politics. Their eldest sister, Misa Bharti, serves as the party MP for Pataliputra, while another sister, Rohini Acharya, ran unsuccessfully in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Saran.
The other five sisters have chosen not to enter politics, though one, Hema Yadav, is involved in a land-for-jobs scam connected to Lalu’s time as railway minister, as reported by PTI. Both Hema and Tej Pratap received bail in the case earlier this year, which is still being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, the report added.
When inquired about the family discord, Tejashwi Yadav replied, “My elder brother is an adult. He is free to make any choices in his personal life. However, there are certain actions we cannot accept, and this is what our national president has indicated in his statement.” He further remarked, “Things have not been to my liking,” alluding to existing tensions.
Tej Pratap, a two-term MLA who started his political career in 2015, has had a tumultuous political path filled with controversies.
Tej married Aishwarya, granddaughter of former Bihar CM Daroga Prasad Rai, in 2018, but she left their home months later, citing mistreatment by her husband and in-laws.
