Bihar Elections 2025: Tej Pratap Yadav to contest from Mahua seat as Jan Shakti Dal Candidate

National News: Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, and former Bihar minister, will contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections from the Mahua seat. He will represent the Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JSJD) and is scheduled to file his nomination on October 16.

New Party and Candidate Announcement

Tej Pratap told the media that he will announce his candidates soon. He created JSJD after being rejected by his family and removed from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) following a Facebook post. The party’s election symbol is a blackboard, symbolizing education and social reform. He said, “I will announce my candidates the day after tomorrow. Parso jordaar ailaan hoga [Big announcements will be made the day after tomorrow].” On the question of who will become Bihar’s next chief minister, he stated: “Whoever will be Bihar's CM will be decided by the people.” He also mentioned that he plans to consult his spiritual guide in Vrindavan before submitting his nomination. His focus is to develop Mahua into a full district. “We have already set up a medical college here; now we want to upgrade Mahua into a full-fledged district,” he said.

Election Plans and Previous Wins

Earlier, in an interview with India Today TV, Yadav shared that he would contest from Mahua. He mentioned that if the RJD did not give him a ticket, he would run as an independent candidate. In 2020, he had won from Hasanpur. He said, “The people of Mahua only want me to contest from here. They say if anyone else from the RJD is fielded, they will not vote for them. If RJD gives me a ticket, I will contest for the party. If not, I will contest as an independent, but only from Mahua. It is my land of action.”

Political Setback and Election Dates

Tej Pratap’s political journey took a major turn in May 2025, when his father Lalu Prasad Yadav expelled him from the RJD for six years. This followed a controversial social media post where he referred to a woman named Anushka as his girlfriend, which drew criticism for being “irresponsible.” The Bihar assembly elections are scheduled in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, with the vote counting set for November 14.