All is really not well in the Lalu family or the family drama is a strategy to gain attention before Bihar elections, and deviate public discourse from real issues

Ahead of state assembly elections in Bihar, the ‘first family’ of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) seems to have devised a new method to deflect public discourse from the real issues. This new method is the classic family drama of a ‘rift in the family’. The alleged feud in the Lalu family emerged in public as Rohini Acharya, Lalu Yadav’s daughter, is reported to be unhappy with the expanding clout of Sanjay Yadav, the political adviser to former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Recently, Rohini Yadav also unfollowed her brother, Tejashwi Yadav, and father, Lalu Yadav, on X. In fact, she unfollowed all RJD leaders and even made her account private temporarily. Before this, she reposted a post criticising Sanjay Yadav’s presence at Tejashwi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, which ended on 20th September. The post in question, published by one Alok Kumar, argued that while Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav was seated in the front seat of the yatra bus the seat was for either Lalu Prasad or Tejashwi and should remain unoccupied in their absence. “The front seat is always designated for top leadership. No one should sit on it even when the leader is absent. It is a different matter when someone has the notion of being bigger than the top leader. We, along with the people of Bihar, are used to seeing Lalu Prasad or Tejashwi Prasad Yadav taking the front seat. We cannot tolerate anyone else sitting in the front seat. However, we cannot comment on sycophants who see in a person a unique strategist, advisor, and saviour,” the social media post reposted by Rohini Acharya read, although it no longer appears on her X profile. Reports say that Rohini Acharya’s public support to narrative critical of Sanjay Yadav did not go well with her family. Acharya has since been facing criticism within the family and was also under pressure to do damage control. In this direction, the RJD made Dalit leaders Shiv Chandra Ram and Rekha Paswan sit in the front seat during the Yatra. Rohini Acharya was quick to share the pictures of Dalit leaders seated in the front seats and wrote on X, “It has been the prime motto of Lalu Prasad’s socio-economic justice campaign to bring forward the deprived and people on the last rung of the social ladder. It is heartening to see people from these sections sitting in the front seat in these pictures.” The melodrama did not end here as on 19th September, Acharya shared a video of her being taken to operation theatre in 2022, when she donated her kidney to ailing father, Lalu Yadav. Along with the video clip, Rohini Acharya wrote, “Those who, with 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…” In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rohini Acharya contested from Saran and lost to BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Now, Acharya was reportedly eyeing a ticket in the assembly elections, however, the party was not in favour of this. Attempting to put all speculations at rest, Acharya posted that she has no political ambitions, and for her, her self-respect is of supreme importance. “I have fulfilled my duty and dharma as a daughter and a sister, and I will continue to do so. I have no desire for any position, nor do I have any political ambition. For me, my self-respect is supreme,” she wrote. मैंने एक बेटी व् बहन के तौर पर अपना कर्तव्य एवं धर्म निभाया है और आगे भी निभाती रहूँगी , मुझे किसी पद की लालसा नहीं है, न मेरी कोई राजनीतिक महत्वाकांक्षा है ,मेरे लिए मेरा आत्म – सम्मान सर्वोपरि है — Rohini Acharya (@RohiniAcharya2) September 19, 2025 This post, however, came across as rather a confirmation that there is indeed a rift in the family and Rohini Acharya indeed had political ambitions. Not to forget, even Tej Pratap Yadav, who was earlier expelled from RJD, has also backed his sister over the issue of Sanjay Yadav’s increasing clout. बिहार: लालू परिवार में संजय यादव को लेकर तनाव बढ़ गया है◆ तेज प्रताप यादव ने बहन रोहिणी के समर्थन में कहा कि संजय यादव तेजस्वी यादव की कुर्सी हथियाना चाहते हैं◆ रोहिणी ने कहा कि उन्होंने अपनी बहन और बेटी के कर्तव्य का पालन किया और पद की लालसा नहीं है#TejPratapYadav |… pic.twitter.com/JYHhxRhWTK— News24 (@news24tvchannel) September 20, 2025 Tej Pratap recently alleged that Sanjay Yadav wants to “usurp” Tejashwi Yadav’s chair. Real or not, this family rift has contributed to diverting public attention in the poll-bound state from real ground-level issues to the Lalu family’s drama and internal power tussle.