Tej Pratap surprises Rabri on birthday, joins celebrations

Patna: Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi’s 67th birthday on Thursday turned special when her estranged son, former minister Tej Pratap Yadav, arrived at her residence at 10, Circular Road in Patna to join the celebrations.Tej not only wished his mother but also cut the cake to mark the occasion. “Tej Pratap ji had visited the Rabri residence today,” party spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan told TOI over the phone.The visit came about seven months after Tej was expelled from the RJD and distanced by the Lalu Prasad family for revealing his personal relationship with a woman. Since then, he has charted his own political path and even contested the assembly elections independently.Tej also posted a heartfelt message on social media, saying, “You are my deepest inspiration. You gave without counting, loved without conditions, and stood strong even when no one saw how heavy it was.” Describing his mother as the “soul of our family,” he added that she was “the steady breath behind every laugh, every prayer, every moment that feels like home.” His brother, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, however, did not extend any birthday wishes publicly on social media.

RJD leaders and well-wishers also visited Rabri to convey their greetings. Senior leaders, including state president Mangani Lal Mandal, national principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui, national general secretary Binu Yadav, state vice-president Ashok Kumar Singh, and chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav, rushed to her residence to extend their wishes.However, in contrast to previous years, the usual throngs of party workers and well-wishers were noticeably thinner.

Observers attributed this to two factors. First, the RJD performed poorly in the recently held assembly elections, securing only 25 seats — a loss of 50 seats — while party CM candidate Tejashwi Prasad Yadav failed to achieve electoral success.Second, the state govt has issued a notice asking Rabri to vacate the 10, Circular Road bungalow, her family home for around two decades. The residence, once compared to 10 Janpath, the official home of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has witnessed many ups and downs and is closely linked to Lalu’s political journey.RJD lawmaker Saurabh Kumar offered another perspective on the thinner crowds. “No doubt, the number of people surged at the Rabri residence last year, but it is also a fact that both Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi are currently unavailable in Patna. Lalu is a magnet who automatically attracts crowds. Sadly, he is in Delhi after undergoing eye surgery,” Kumar said. “Similarly, Tejashwi ji has gone on a foreign trip with his family,” he added.Dismissing the notion that the party’s electoral setback affected the turnout, Kumar said the RJD still enjoys a large base of workers. “But the reason behind RJD’s poor performance is different this time. Everybody knows how our rivals managed to win elections,” he added.