Scare for Lalu’s sons: Tejashwi struggles in Raghopur as Tej Pratap faces setback in Mahua

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav with elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav (file image)

As early trends rolled in on Friday, November 14, the two political heirs of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav found themselves navigating sharply different but equally troubling trajectories. The common thread: neither Tejashwi Yadav nor Tej Pratap Yadav appeared to be anywhere near power.

Tejashwi, the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face and Lalu’s chosen successor, had held a steady lead in Raghopur through the morning. But by 11.30 am, the numbers flipped; he was suddenly trailing by 3,016 votes, signalling that even his safest turf was slipping. However, there are still chances for Tejashwi to get back on track.

Across the Vaishali district, Tej Pratap Yadav’s situation was far more dramatic. LJP(RV) candidate Sanjay Kumar Singh solidified his lead with 16,673 votes. As of 11:30 AM, Tej Pratap was in fourth place, trailing by a significant margin of 13,501 votes.

For Tej Pratap, Mahua was supposed to be a personal resurrection arc. After being expelled from the party and effectively from the family, over a public post about a long-term relationship, he launched the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) and returned to the constituency he first won in 2015. But this time, the dynamics were harsher. He faced both his father’s party’s official candidate and the NDA’s nominee, turning Mahua into a fierce, multi-cornered battlefield.

His troubles were layered. Tej Pratap had been shifted from Mahua to Hasanpur in 2020 because the seat was considered “unsafe” for him. He won Hasanpur, but his return to Mahua in 2025 reportedly irked Mukesh Raushan, a staunch Tejashwi loyalist who had held the seat since 2020. And then there was Ashma Parveen, doctor, political insider, and close to Misa Bharti, contesting as an independent after losing in 2020 on a JD(U) ticket.

For both brothers, the 2025 election is supposed to be a test of their political capital. By mid-day, the test seemed to be delivering an unmistakable message: neither the anointed heir nor the estranged son was in control of the narrative.