Tej Pratap Yadav announces party symbol a month after launching Janshakti Janata Dal

Tej Pratap Yadav

In a significant political development months ahead of assembly polls in Bihar, RJD leader and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s eldest son, Tej Pratap Yadav, has formally revealed his party's election symbol — the blackboard. His political outfit, the Janshakti Janata Dal, was officially recognised in August, marking Tej Pratap's move towards an independent political path.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tej Pratap wrote: "We are fully dedicated and ready for the overall development of Bihar. Our aim is to bring about a complete transformation and build a new system. We are prepared to fight a long battle for Bihar's progress."

In August, former minister Tej Pratap Yadav announced the formation of a coalition of five minor parties to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. In May, he was expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by his father and party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. He made the announcement at a press conference, which was also attended by national presidents of the five parties.

Political observers see this move as a direct challenge to his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, currently the most prominent face of the Opposition in Bihar. The announcement has stirred tensions within the RJD and the Yadav family, raising questions about the unity of the party ahead of the upcoming elections.

Now, all eyes are on how much traction the Janshakti Janata Dal gains among the electorate and what impact Tej Pratap's political gamble will have on Bihar's evolving political landscape.