Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav Saturday. Source: (Twitter)RJD leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav met elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday and discussed strategies for the 2019 general elections.
This was their first meeting since November, when Tej Pratap had filed a divorce petition and moved out of Patna.
The meeting is also significant as it comes amid posturing by Tej Pratap, seemingly to assert his position in RJD — first by holding a janta durbar in the party office and then by supporting the candidature of his eldest sister Misa Bharati from Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat.
After the meeting, Tej Pratap posted pictures — one of them showed Tejashwi touching his feet. He also tweeted: “Aaj apne Arjun se milkar aagami chunavo ko lekar ranniti taiyar kiya evam Bihar ke kurukshetra me vijayi hone ka aashirvad diya (Today I met my younger brother Tejashwi and discussed strategies for the coming polls and blessed him to emerge victorious in the Bihar battle).”
Earlier, former CM and his mother Rabri Devi had met Tej Pratap and reportedly advised him not to issue controversial statements.
After returning to Patna about a month ago, Tej Pratap, who had accused his family of not supporting him on his divorce, has been living in a separate house though the state government allotted him a bungalow. He recently became active in the party, holding janta durbar even though senior leaders like RJD state president Ramchandra Purve stayed away. He also mounted pressure on the party leadership by supporting the candidature of Bharati from Pataliputra, though there had been no formal meeting on seat-sharing among Grand Alliance partners.
Maner MLA and RJD spokesperson Bhai Birendra, who has reportedly been eyeing a ticket from Pataliputra and was directly targeted by Tej Pratap, had met Rabri Devi to request her to rein him in.
Tej Pratap later said: “What I meant by supporting Misa didi’s candidature for Pataliputra was that she is a woman candidate and has been working hard in the constituency. It is the RJD president who will decide candidates.”
Despite the seeming thaw between the brothers, RJD insiders said candidate selection would be the real test. “Everyone knows Tejashwi is the main power centre and Tej Pratap has been trying to get his political share. Tej Pratap would surely back some candidates for Lok Sabha polls. Unless he is being given an important role in the party, he won’t keep quiet for long,” said a senior RJD leader.
Meanwhile, Grand Alliance leaders are meeting Monday at Tejashwi’s residence for the first round of seat-sharing talks. The meet would be attended by RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, Loktantrik Janta Dal leader Sharad Yadav, HAM (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar Congress chief Madan Mohan Jha and Vikasshil Insaan Party leader Mukesh Sahni.
