Amid political isolation following his expulsion from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lalu Prasad Yadav family, Tej Pratap Yadav has found emotional and political support in Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav.
On Wednesday, Akhilesh Yadav reached out to Tej Pratap through a video call, extending solidarity and words of encouragement.
Tej Pratap, elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, shared details of the conversation on his X handle (formerly Twitter).
“Today I had a long video conversation with one of the dearest members of my family, former Chief Minister of UP, Akhilesh Yadav. We discussed the political situation in Bihar… His call to check on me felt like I’m not alone in this fight,” wrote Tej Pratap.
A video clip of their conversation surfaced, in which Akhilesh is seen asking Tej Pratap about his political plans and the constituency he might contest from in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Tej Pratap responded, saying he wishes to visit Lucknow before making any decisions.
Akhilesh warmly invited Tej Pratap to a program being organised on the banks of the Ganga and called him a “hero.”
He also asked him to stay in touch and assured him of continued support.
The exchange comes weeks after Tej Pratap Yadav publicly revealed a 12-year relationship with Anushka Yadav, leading to a major controversy in the RJD and his expulsion from the party and family by Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Tej Pratap later denied the relationship and claimed his social media accounts were hacked.
Since then, he has been politically and personally isolated.
However, with Akhilesh Yadav’s outreach, Tej Pratap appears to be receiving some much-needed support from outside Bihar’s political establishment.
Observers believe this new camaraderie could lead to political collaboration between SP and Tej Pratap in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025.
