Mahua a flashpoint in Lalu family’s political saga

Patna: If there is any Bihar assembly seat where the RJD’s prestige appears most at stake, it is Mahua in Vaishali district, where the party’s sitting legislator Mukesh Kumar Raushan faces Tej Pratap Yadav, expelled RJD leader and elder son of party chief Lalu Prasad. In a curious twist, Lalu’s younger son and opposition’s chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, has so far avoided campaigning for his party’s candidate in Mahua, even though only three days remain before the campaign ends for the first phase of polling on Nov 6.Since being declared the INDIA bloc’s CM face, Tejashwi has launched an extensive campaign across Bihar, covering several districts over the past nine days. However, he has “tactfully” steered clear of Mahua, despite visiting Raghopur, his own constituency in the same district, according to sources.On Saturday, Tejashwi’s schedule listed as many as 16 rallies across the state, but Mahua was not among them, raising questions about the RJD’s internal strategy. “Tejashwi’s tour plan for Mahua is being chalked out,” claimed RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan on Saturday.Adding fuel to the family rift, Tej Pratap has warned he would campaign against his brother if Tejashwi visits Mahua. “If he (Tejashwi) comes to Mahua to campaign for his RJD candidate, I will rush to Raghopur to campaign against Tejashwi,” Tej Pratap told the reporters.Their sister and RJD MP Misa Bharti has tried to strike a balance. “I can’t go to Mahua to campaign for Tej Pratap since we are in two different parties, but as an elder sister, my blessings and best wishes are with both my brothers,” she said.Mahua first gained prominence in 2015 when Tej Pratap won the seat. In 2020, he shifted to Hasanpur in Samastipur district, where he again emerged victorious. This time, his return to Mahua has complicated matters for the RJD, which already holds the seat.Tej Pratap is contesting as a candidate of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), a party he floated ahead of the elections after being expelled from the RJD in May this year over a personal controversy. The RJD suspended him for six years after he publicly discussed a personal relationship, embarrassing the party and prompting fears of electoral damage. The RJD has denied having any “tacit understanding” with him.The Mahua developments come just days after another INDIA bloc ally, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), led by former minister Mukesh Sahani, extended its support to a JJD candidate in East Champaran’s Sugauli seat. The VIP decided to back JJD’s Shyam Kishore Choudhary after its own nominee, Shashi Bhushan Singh, was disqualified during the scrutiny of nomination papers.“We had no option other than supporting the JJD candidate after our candidate’s nomination was cancelled. We could not have given a walkover to the NDA candidate,” said VIP spokesperson Dev Jyoti.