Fractured Bonds: Lalu Yadav's Family Rift Deepens After RJD's Electoral Setback

Before leaving for Mumbai, Rohini broke down before media and claimed that she was asked to leave the house by Tejashwi. “Every house has a daughter or sister. If the daughter or sister raises some issue, you will tell her that you are already married off and don’t interfere in family affairs”, Rohini quipped while alleging that brother has been guided by wrong people with malicious intentions. She further claimed that her father and the family are with her and that it’s Tejashwi who is isolated and the other way round.

The shockwaves rippled outward almost immediately. By November 16, three more of Lalu's daughters - Ragini Yadav, Chanda Yadav, and Hema Yadav - followed suit, vacating the family residence in a show of solidarity. Reports indicate a fourth, Raj Lakshmi Yadav, joined them later that evening, turning the sprawling bungalow into an eerily empty shell. This mass departure has fuelled speculation of deeper fissures, with insiders pointing to long-simmering tensions over inheritance, party tickets, and influence. Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi have nine children, including sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi, and daughters like Misa Bharti, who remains a Rajya Sabha MP and has stayed neutral so far. Yet, the family's public facade of unity, once a potent electoral asset, now lies in tatters

Adding fuel to the fire, elder son Tej Pratap Yadav - himself estranged, no stranger to controversy with his eccentric public persona and past marital upheavals - emerged as Rohini's staunchest defender. In a fiery statement on November 16, he praised her courage as "commendable for a woman, mother, and sister," while issuing a veiled threat to "traitors" within the family: "Those who betray blood will be buried under the weight of their deceit." Tej Pratap's intervention underscores a broader sibling rivalry that predates the elections. As early as September 2025, cryptic posts from Rohini hinted at brewing unrest, while Tej Pratap's sidelined role in the campaign - overshadowed by Tejashwi's aggressive youth outreach, stoked his grievances. Political observers note that Tej Pratap's support could embolden dissidents within RJD, where whispers of a "post-Lalu succession crisis" have grown louder.

Amid the escalating turmoil, Rohini Acharya has sharpened her attacks on Tejashwi Yadav's trusted inner circle, accusing close aides like Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav and murder accused Rameez Nemat Khan along with other unnamed associates of orchestrating the family's downfall through manipulation and self-serving agendas. In a series of blistering social media tirades, she portrayed them as "outsiders" who have infiltrated the RJD's core, sowing discord by undermining her role and belittling her sacrifices, including the kidney she donated to her father. Rohini claimed these figures, often spotted in Tejashwi's shadow during campaigns, prioritised personal ambitions over party unity, exacerbating the post-election blame game. Lalu Yadav, 78, is yet to issue any statement as yet.​