Lalu Prasad Calls RJD First-Family Rift A Private Matter As Tejashwi Chosen Legislative Leader

At a meeting of RJD legislators in Patna, party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav urged workers and the public to prioritise strengthening the party rather than focusing on the ongoing discord within his family. Stressing that the matter was strictly personal, he assured that it would be resolved internally. The gathering also saw unanimous support for his younger son, Tejashwi Yadav, who was selected as the leader of the RJD legislative party.

Lalu Prasad’s remarks came in the wake of daughter Rohini Acharya’s emotional announcement on social media, where she declared her exit from politics and distanced herself from the family. She blamed her decision on the influence of Sanjay Yadav, an RJD Rajya Sabha MP, and Rameez — an aide to Tejashwi — especially after the RJD secured only 25 seats in the Bihar elections, marking its worst performance in ten years.

A day after Rohini’s announcement, her sisters Chanda, Ragini, and Hema also left their father’s residence, alleging broken trust and alleging favouritism toward outsiders over family members.

Rohini, a doctor and Lalu’s second daughter, had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Saran but lost to BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Their elder sister, Misa Bharti, MP from Patliputra, echoed Lalu’s stance, urging media attention towards NDA’s poll promises — such as job creation and industrial development — rather than their family conflict.

The strain within the family first surfaced during the Bihar Adhikar Yatra, when Rohini objected to Sanjay Yadav accompanying Tejashwi in the front seat of his vehicle. This later expanded into broader accusations of interference by Sanjay and Rameez in both party affairs and family matters.

Following the election results, Rohini claimed she faced humiliation and verbal abuse, alleging that someone even raised a slipper at her. Meanwhile, Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav — expelled earlier and now leading his own party, JJD — has publicly criticised Tejashwi, linking the family’s internal division to the party’s electoral loss.

Lalu’s brother-in-law, Sadhu Yadav, also condemned Tejashwi’s behaviour, calling Rohini’s treatment unfair and urging the removal of the controversial aides before tensions escalate further. The BJP has used the situation to attack Lalu, labelling it evidence of dysfunction within the family.