Move over Bigg Boss, the Yadav pari-war is here.
Like all great leaders before him, Tejashwi Yadav refused to take responsibility for the Bihar Assembly elections debacle. Instead he pinned the blame on his sister Rohini Acharya, the second child of former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi.
Because, of course, the problem wasn’t his ridiculous poll promises of one government job per household or thousands of rupees in welfare money to women. No, no. It was clearly because of Rohini’s bad juju.
How else can you explain the RJD’s soul-crushing defeat?
From emerging as the single-largest party in the previous assembly elections to recording its second-worst tally of just 25 seats this time round - Tejashwi knew. The RJD’s abysmal showing was all down to Rohini giving her ‘dirty’ and ‘cursed’ kidney to their ailing father.
Rohini may have saved his life, but she clearly doomed the party. Had she not, the opposition’s Mahagathbandhan would have won, and Tejashwi would surely be Bihar’s next chief minister.
But, Rohini wasn't having any of it. She blamed the catastrophe on Tejashwi’s trusted inner circle of Sanjay Yadav and Rameez Nemath.
For context - Sanjay is a former software engineer turned RJD ‘war room’ in-charge. While Rameez, reportedly, is a former first-class cricketer who played for Jharkhand.
She questioned their political acumen, setting her on a collision course with her brother Tejashwi.
To make matters worse, their family melodrama today took a couple of interesting turns. Following Rohini’s exile, three of her younger sisters - Rajlakshmi, Ragini, and Chanda - left the Yadav residence with their children.
Tej Pratap - Lalu and Rabri’s second-youngest child - came to the defence of his elder sister, Rohini. How much that would help is anyone’s guess considering Tej Pratap - the ‘black sheep’ of the Yadav family - is currently living in political wilderness. This, after the RJD supremo cast him out for ignoring ‘moral values’ in his personal life.
Clearly, family drama trumps politics in the Yadav clan. If they do not regroup and course-correct, what do you think are the chances of an RJD comeback?
