Lalu Visists Estranged Son’s Home For Fest, Fuels Talks Of Reconciliation

The development comes against the backdrop of the RJD’s poor performance in the recently concluded Assembly elections, in which the party failed to capitalise on anti-incumbency and secured fewer seats than in the 2020 polls.

Tej Pratap Yadav, who floated the Janshakti Janta Dal after his expulsion, met his parents and younger brother Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday night and invited them to the Sankranti feast. However, only Lalu Prasad, who largely remains indoors due to health issues, attended the event.

Lalu Prasad declined to speak to the media, but his visit fuelled speculation about a thaw in family relations as the party seeks to recover from its electoral setback.

Lalu Prasad had expelled Tej Pratap Yadav from the RJD in May last year, stating that he would have nothing to do with him and criticising his conduct as being inconsistent with family values. The expulsion followed a controversial social media post by Tej Pratap claiming a long-term relationship outside marriage, which he later deleted, alleging his account had been hacked.

In the run-up to the elections, Tej Pratap’s new party contested several seats, but all its candidates forfeited their deposits.

Meanwhile, Vijay Kumar Sinha, the deputy Chief minister, remarked that family members coming together during festivals was natural, even if differences were set aside temporarily. He also took a swipe at Tejashwi Yadav over his absence from the Assembly’s inaugural session in December.