AGENCIES / Patna
The elder son of RJD president Lalu Prasad, Tej Pratap Yadav Thursday resigned as the ‘sanrakshak’ (mentor) of the party’s students wing, signalling all was not well within the family.
“I am resigning from the post of Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal Sanrakshak. Those who think I am ignorant are ignorant themselves. I am well aware of who is worth what,” he tweeted.
The sudden development comes as a major embarrassment to the party which has been beset by speculations of fierce rivalry between Tej Pratap and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav.
छात्र राष्ट्रीय जनता दल के संरक्षक के पद से मैं इस्तीफा दे रहा हूँ। नादान हैं वो लोग जो मुझे नादान समझते हैं। कौन कितना पानी में है सबकी है खबर मुझे।
The announcement also comes amid rumours that Tej Pratap would be causing a split in the party. However, later talking to a couple of regional news channels, the RJD supremo’s elder son denied speculations of him planning a drastic step on account of perceived rivalry with Tejashwi Yadav, who has been declared as the political heir apparent of Lalu Prasad.
Speaking at a news conference, Tej Pratap noted that he wanted to press for the candidature of his confidants Angesh Kumar and Chandra Prakash from Sheohar and Jehanabad, respectively. “I would like my father, the national president, and Tejashwi who is managing the affairs of the party in his absence to give a thought to my proposal,” he said.
The presser was, however, called off reportedly at the insistence of his mother Rabri Devi and father, who is in Ranchi serving sentences in the fodder scam.
RJD leaders were also tight-lipped about the entire episode.
The ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar, of which RJD is the largest constituent, is yet to take a call on which party would contest the aforementioned seats. Tej Pratap is known to have thrown a fit on many occasions for being ‘sidelined’ in the party .