Daughter ignites fresh feud in Lalu family ahead of Bihar election

Ahead of the Bihar Assembly election, a fresh feud could be taking shape in the family of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, following a cryptic post by his daughter Rohini Acharya, who had donated her kidney to Mr. Prasad in 2022.

According to sources in the RJD, Ms. Acharya is unhappy over the expanding influence of Sanjay Yadav, the political advisor to former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, in the party and his proximity with Mr. Yadav.

It all started on September 18, when Ms. Acharya shared a post of a social media influencer, in which the influencer had raised objection to Mr. Sanjay occupying the front seat on the bus meant for ‘Bihar Adhikar Yatra’. He had said that the front seat was usually reserved for the top leadership of the party, such as Mr. Prasad and Mr. Yadav.

The photo went viral on social media after Ms. Acharya shared the post. Switching to damage-control mode hours later, she posted two photos showing leaders of marginalised sections being seated on the same seat, including former MLA Shiv Chandra Ram, who is from the Dalit community.

“Bringing forward the deprived class - a group standing on the last rung of society has been the core purpose of the campaign for socio-economic justice by the national president of Rashtriya Janata Dal, the honorable Lalu Yadav ji. Seeing those coming from these very sections of society seated in the front in these pictures is a pleasurable experience,” Ms. Acharya said in the X post.

The next day, on September 19, she again shared an old photo on X of her being taken to the operation theatre in Singapore to donate the kidney to her father. “Those who carry their lives in the palm of their hand, possess the spirit to make the greatest of sacrifices. Fearlessness, boldness, self-respect flow in their blood,” she wrote.

Again, on the day, she shared another post on X saying, “I have fulfilled my duty and righteousness as a daughter and sister, and I will continue to do so in the future as well. I have no craving for any position, nor do I have any political ambitions. For me, my self-respect is paramount.”

The episode took a turn for the worse on September 20, when Ms. Acharya unfollowed all the top leaders of the party on X, including Mr. Prasad, brother Mr. Yadav, Mr. Tej Pratap and eldest sister Misa Bharti.

Ahead of the Assembly election, there are murmurs that Ms. Acharya wanted to contest the Assembly election, but the idea had been rejected by Mr. Yadav. She was said to be under the impression that Mr. Sanjay had played a role in denying her the ticket after she lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Saran seat.

On Sunday, Mr. Acharya again tried to clear the air and posted on X that she has no desire to contest the Assembly election. 

“In my context, all the rumours spread by trolls, miscreants, paid media, and those with malicious intentions of usurping the party are baseless and part of a smear campaign aimed at damaging my image. I have never had any political ambitions in the past, nor do I have any now, nor will I have any in the future,” Ms. Acharya said.

She further said, “I have no desire to become a candidate for the Assembly election, nor to make anyone else a candidate, nor do I aspire to become a member of the Rajya Sabha. I have no rivalry with any member of my family, nor do I have any desire for any position in the party or any government that may be formed in the future.”

Ms. Acharya asserted, “For me, my self-respect, respect and dedication towards my parents, and the honour of my family are of utmost importance.”

In May, after Mr. Prasad expelled his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav for six years from the party, the latter had called Mr. Sanjay, who hails from Haryana and is a Rajya Sabha member, as “jaichand (betrayer)“.

Reacting to the latest episode, Mr. Tej Pratap said that anyone who insults his sisters would suffer the “Sudarshan Chakra” of Lord Krishna.