Lalu Prasad Yadav: In the aftermath of the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s thrashing in the Bihar assembly elections, tensions were raised in the Yadav family. Lalu Prasad Yadav sought to address the explosion resulting from a fight involving his son, Tejashwi, and his daughter, Rohini Acharya, by stating that all of it was “an internal family matter.”
Speaking at an RJD legislature meeting in Patna, Lalu stated, “This is an internal family matter and will be solved in our own family. I am there to deal with it.” All of this came at the same meeting where the RJD legislature party elected Tejashwi unanimously as the party leader.
Rohini Publicly Disowns the Family by Exiting Politics
Acharya made clear statements publicly about her “disowning” her family and leaving politics. She made serious allegations against Tejashwi’s close aides — Sanjay Yadav and Rameez — that she was humiliated, verbally abused, and even threatened with a slipper. This dramatic statement has added to an already explosive family and political situation.
Lalu Backs Tejashwi — But What About the Party?
Through this controversy, Lalu offered implicit support for his younger son. By framing the conflict as a private family issue, Lalu was still encouraging RJD workers and supporters to stay focused on rebuilding the party after its trouncing in the election.
Yet, not all in the political scene believe this conflict can remain private. Those who think such a public private family failure could raise suspicions about RJD’s trustworthiness or display its internal weakness among party members are not rare. BJP leaders are already saying if Tejaswi is so unpopular in his own family, he may not be that good of a political leader.
External Voices and Broader Implications
In a show of solidarity with Rohini, Chirag Paswan described her comments as “crying for pain” and called on the entire Yadav family to settle their disagreement soon. His involvement reinforces how linked this personal family conflict is to the party’s wider disciplinary context, especially in a party where family has a sense of ownership. Still, for now, Lalu’s declaration that he will “take care of it” shows he is intent on limiting the incidence exclusively within the family and reframing and limiting the potential for public long term rift.
Rebuild or Fragment?
The family fallout comes at an inopportune time for RJD. Coming off of a disastrous electoral result, the party needs strong leadership with public faith. But, if this rift is prolonged, it could threaten more than family allegiance, but the political future of RJD.
Can Lalu’s promise of reconciliation heal both the personal and political wounds? Or will the Tejashwi–Rohini dispute deepen the crisis possibly paving the way for further fragmentation? The coming weeks will be critical.
