RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday expelled his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav

PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday expelled his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav from the party for six years and severed all family ties, citing “irresponsible behaviour” and a breach of values, report Madan Kumar & Jainarain Pandey. The decision — perhaps one of the most difficult in Lalu’s 51-year career — came months ahead of Bihar assembly polls, reshaping political and family equations within RJD.Two-time MLA Tej Pratap, 36, had claimed on Facebook on Saturday he’d been in a 12-year relationship with a woman, later identified as Anushka Yadav, despite a pending divorce from wife Aishwarya Rai.The post was later deleted, with Tej alleging his account was hacked and photos doctored. Lalu, without naming the post, issued a stern statement on X: “Disregarding moral values weakens our collective struggle for social justice. His actions do not align with our traditions. He is expelled for six years and will have no role in party or family.”“He is capable of judging his own life. Those associating with him should do so using their own judgment,” he wrote. Lalu’s daughter and former Lok Sabha candidate Rohini Acharya supported the expulsion, saying: “Those who repeatedly cross limits of decency invite criticism. For us, papa is like a god, family is our temple.”Lalu’s younger son and RJD’s CM face Tejashwi Prasad Yadav distanced himself. “I neither like nor tolerate all this. My elder brother is an adult and can make his own choices,” he said.Tej Pratap currently resides at mother Rabri Devi’s official residence but has remained absent from both there and his MLA bungalow in Patna. His whereabouts remain unclear, though he was recently seen in a video from Maldives.RJD insiders fear damage to the party’s image, especially among Yadavs and conservative voters. Some Tej Pratap loyalists hinted at a potential new political outfit, though no official move has been made.Among Lalu’s nine children, RJD MP Misa Bharti and four siblings remain politically active while others, including Hema Yadav, have stayed out. Hema is named in land-for-jobs scam from Lalu’s railway minister tenure.Political strategist Prashant Kishor dismissed the Tej Pratap drama. “It hardly matters whom Lalu keeps in his family. He wants Tejashwi as CM. If he has courage, let him name another Yadav as CM face,” he said.With Tejashwi firmly in charge and public opinion volatile, Lalu’s decision may stabilise internal leadership but at the cost of a public family rift that BJP-led NDA appears ready to exploit.BJP and JDU functionaries seized on the turmoil. BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal accused Lalu and Rabri Devi of ruining lives by arranging Tej Pratap’s marriage despite knowing of his prior relationship. JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar asked: “Where did your sanskar go when Daroga Rai-ji’s granddaughter was humiliated?”