RJD plays down Tejashwi’s absence from house

NEW DELHI: Bihar’s leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav, former chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad’s second eldest son, was conspicuous by his absence on Friday on the first day of the monsoon session in the state assembly, indicating that all is not well in the opposition party which suffered a rout in the recent general election.

Yadav’s mother and former CM Rabri Devi sought to play down the issue, telling media persons in Patna, “Tejashwi will come soon. He is busy, he is not sitting idle.”

RJD spokesman Bhai Virendra, MLA from Maner, was more specific as he told ET, “Tejashwi will be in the House on Monday.”


Yadav, who was deputy chief minister for a year and a half during the term of the RJD-JD (U) government, couldn’t have chosen a more inopportune time for his disappearance act given the state of the party, which is battling a family feud even as it faces the prospect of its legislators defecting to the ruling camp. The party has 80 legislators in the 243-member assembly.

While the RJD continues to face a leadership crisis, it also has reasons to worry about losing its support base. With party chief Lalu Prasad, 71, serving a 14-year jail sentencing and the party in a disarray, the RJD needs to work hard to retain the confidence of minority voters in particular.