A fresh dispute has surfaced in the family of Lalu Prasad Yadav after his daughter Rohini Acharya expressed discontent over the growing influence of Sanjay Yadav, a close aide of Tejashwi.
Weeks ahead of crucial Bihar elections, signs of discord in Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family have reared its head again, with his daughter Rohini Acharya now raising the banner of revolt. The flashpoint seems to be the growing proximity and influence of Tejashwi Yadav’s close aide and political advisor, Sanjay Yadav.
The fresh rift in the family comes months after Lalu Prasad expelled his elder son, Tej Pratap, for six years in May. In fact, Tej Pratap has also previously lashed out at Sanjay, even branding him “Jaichand” (betrayer).
WHAT IS CONTROVERSY ALL ABOUT?
The latest controversy started after Sanjay was seen occupying the front seat of the campaign bus, usually reserved for Tejashwi, during the RJD’s Bihar Adhikar Yatra. The photo went viral after a popular social media influencer objected to it, saying the front seat was meant for the top leadership.
In a post, the influencer, without naming Sanjay, said some individuals were considering themselves above the leadership by suddenly appearing like “strategists”. It further said that the people of Bihar were used to seeing Tejashwi or Lalu on the front seat of vehicles during such yatras.
The row deepened after Lalu’s daughter Rohini Acharya reshared the critical post. It signalled that she too objected to the changing political equations and Sanjay’s growing role in the party.
As it kicked off a political storm, Rohini attempted damage control hours later. She shared images of leaders from backwards communities seated in front of vehicles while campaigning.
“Elevating the underprivileged and those at the bottom of society has been the goal of Lalu Prasad’s campaign for social and economic justice,” Rohini tweeted.
Reacting to the development, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, sharing a cartoon, labelled Tejashwi’s political advisor as the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate and said that Tejashwi should first manage his own household before contesting against the NDA.
STRING OF POSTS BY LALU’S DAUGHTER
However, the damage had been done and the speculation of a rift in the family only grew louder.
Amid the controversy, Rohini, on Friday, posted a series of pictures and videos with Lalu Prasad during the former chief minister’s kidney transplant in Singapore in 2022. Rohini had donated one of her kidneys to her father.
