Hajipur, Bihar – In a bold declaration, former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav has stated that he would rather "choose death over returning to the RJD" (Rashtriya Janata Dal), the party from which he was expelled by his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, a few months ago. This statement highlights the deep rift within the Yadav family and the political landscape of Bihar.

Tej Pratap, the elder son of former Bihar Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, made these remarks in an interview with PTI Videos. He emphasized that he is not driven by a hunger for power but by principles and self-respect. "I would choose death over returning to that party," he asserted. "I am not hungry for power. Principles and self-respect are supreme for me".

His expulsion from the RJD followed a controversial social media post, after which Lalu Prasad Yadav announced his son's expulsion from the RJD for six years and severed familial ties, citing that Tej Pratap’s public behavior contradicted the moral values upheld by the party and the family. Tej Pratap later claimed that his Facebook account had been hacked. However, on 30 June 2025 he admitted that he had made the post himself.

Following his expulsion, Tej Pratap launched his own political outfit, the Janshakti Janta Dal (JJD). He is currently contesting from Mahua, the constituency where he began his electoral career in 2015. He had previously represented Mahua from 2015 to 2020. On October 16, 2025, he filed his nomination for the Mahua seat, carrying a photo of his grandmother, Marchiya Devi, whose blessings he credited for his father's rise in politics.

When asked about Tejashwi Yadav being declared the INDIA bloc's CM face, Tej Pratap responded that only the people's blessings determine power. He also took a swipe at the BJP-RSS combine, stating that voters would not be "deceived" again.

Tej Pratap also commented on Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, dismissing him as "at best a trader" who "does campaign work for parties by assembling resources".

Addressing his connection to Mahua, Tej Pratap stated, "People tell me they were happy to have me as their MLA, that I was responsive to their needs. They say they have nobody to turn to now". He also made it clear that he does not consider the current RJD legislator from Mahua, Mukesh Raushan, a confidant of his younger brother, as a challenge.

The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the counting of votes on November 14. The main contest is expected to be between the NDA alliance, led by BJP-JD(U), and the INDIA bloc, led by RJD's Tejashwi Yadav. The JJD, along with Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj, are among the new entrants in the fray.