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Misa Bharti, Tej Pratap & Tejaswi in silent tussle to become Lalu’s political heir

Misa Bharti, Tej Pratap & Tejaswi in silent tussle to become Lalu’s political heir

Synopsis

3 of Lalu’s nine children - daughter Misa Bharti and sons Tej Pratap and Tejaswi Yadav - are expected to contest upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad is set to give Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Karunanidhi a run for his money when it comes to dynastic politics, both in terms of numbers and intrigue. Three of Lalu’s nine children — daughter Misa Bharti and sons Tej Pratap and Tejaswi Yadav — are expected to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. But more crucial for each of them is who will become Lalu’s political heir.

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With Lalu himself legally disqualified from contesting elections and holding a position of power, the race is for the deputy chief minister’s post if the RJD-Janata Dal (United) combine manages to win and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar retains his CM position.

Though Lalu had at different times projected his first-born Misa and Tejaswi as the inheritors of his political legacy, it is Tej Pratap, the eldest son, who is now emerging as the chosen one to take on the mantle. Accompanied by his father, Tej Pratap, a political greenhorn, personally announced his candidature from Mahua constituency in Vaishali district at a rally on July 4. The announcement met with vocal opposition from party members, but Lalu was unfazed.


He told mediaperons a day later that there was nothing wrong in his son fighting elections. “If my son does not contest MLA elections, will he go and graze buffaloes?” he asked in his characteristic rustic style. The RJD chief did not see anything wrong in his party becoming dynastic in nature.

MISA, TEJASWI HAVE EXPERIENCE

Misa and Tejaswi have more political experience — Misa unsuccessfully fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and Tejaswi, who also dabbled in cricket, was the party’s youth wing head. But party leaders ET spoke to said they always saw Tej Pratap as the potential successor to the party chief.
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“Tej Pratap is feistier and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the rough and tumble of politics … Moreover, he had his mother Rabri Devi’s blessings,” a senior RJD leader told ET, explaining why the elder son seems to be the chosen one.

When Lalu returned to Patna in December 2013 after spending 77 days in jail, he had described Tej Pratap as Lord Ganesha for never leaving Rabri Devi’s side. (Ganesha is believed to have stayed with his mother Parvati when Lord Shiva was away.) “While Tejaswi was busy travelling and playing cricket, it was Tej Pratap who stayed with Rabri. Laluji is equally fond of both his sons, but this factor probably tilted the scale in favour of the older one,” the leader added.
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Sources in RJD said Misa and Tejaswi may not back off quietly if the party does come to power along with JD(U). “All three are ambitious. As of now Tejaswi is working with Tej Pratap, managing the war room, but is generally keeping a low profile,” another RJD leader said. Misa, considered the most astute and articulate of the three, has been camping in Patna with her two children but staying below the radar. Her software engineer husband, Shailesh, shuttles between Bengaluru and Patna.“It is just a matter of time. Once the elections are announced, things will change,” the RJD leader said. Misa and Tejaswi are also likely to be fielded. Tejaswi is likely to contest from Raghopur, from where Rabri Devi was defeated last time.

AIDES DENY POWER TUSSLE
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Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav, who was once very close to Lalu, told ET that even Misa’s husband Shailesh was in the fray to contest elections. Pappu Yadav had been expelled from RJD for publicly criticising Lalu and saying that he was giving his family precedence over the party.

A close aide of the RJD leader told ET that there was no power tussle within the family and the children would do whatever Lalu asked them to do. “Laluji himself would not like to make any comments on the same,” he said.When ET contacted him, Tejaswi said he was unwell and could not talk. Sources close to Misa said she would not like to talk at this point. “She will surely contest elections. About the RJD leadership issue, she will cross the bridge when she comes to it,” one of them said.Tej Pratap, the only one to respond, sounded upbeat and said the RJD-JD(U) combine would beat BJP and form the government. On projecting a political heir, he said it was not important as long as people’s problems were solved.

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He said it did not matter to him whether he was “deputy CM, minister or MLA”. About his lack of experience, Tej Pratap countered: “Did (AAP leader Arvind) Kejriwal have any experience before he trounced BJP? I have politics in my blood. I am the only politician whose both parents have been chief ministers. After Delhi, BJP is going to suffer a humiliating defeat in Bihar. Tej Pratap will ensure that.”


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