Lalu Prasad Yadav Fades From Bihar Politics As Tejashwi Yadav Takes Charge, Marking End Of An Era

One of the famous quotes of Lalu Prasad Yadav was, "jab tak rahega samosa main aloo, tab tak rahega Bihar main Lalu" (As long as there is potato in samosa, Lalu will remain in Bihar). Bihar is still there. Potato-stuffed samosas are still being fried and sold in Bihar, but Lalu was conspicuous by his absence from electioneering as Bihar embarked on electing its 18th Legislative Assembly.

Lalu, known for his hilarious one-liners often tinged with arrogance, had coined this famous phrase at the height of his political career over three decades ago to boast about his enduring presence in Bihar politics. He rightly believed that he had cracked the election code and discovered the MY formula to keep winning elections forever. MY was still relevant in Bihar elections, though it was no longer Laloo’s ‘Muslim’ and ‘Yadav’; rather, it was ‘Mahila’ (women) and ‘Youth’, as they were identified as the decisive factors in making or unmaking the government in a state yearning for development and a break from caste-based politics.

It is rare that the founder and incumbent president of a powerful political party did not address even a single rally. It was not that he was in hospital or jail. He appears to be doing fine physically and continues to be out on bail as a convict in the infamous fodder scam. Lalu was very much present in Patna throughout. But he refrained from appearing in public, apparently under instructions from his younger son Tejashwi Yadav, the Opposition’s chief ministerial candidate in the Bihar elections. To Tejashwi, his father is no longer an asset but a liability, which he did not want to carry in public. And there is solid logic behind his decision to keep Lalu indoors.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) appeared to be on a surge and cruising towards a possible victory in the 2020 elections until Lalu decided to use his charm in his quest to see his son become the chief minister ahead of the second of the three-phased elections. RJD and its allies in the Mahagathbandhan did well in the first phase, and suddenly the mood in Bihar changed after Lalu addressed a couple of rallies, although he was not fit enough to campaign due to his ailing health. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan fell agonisingly short of the majority mark by a mere 12 seats, which was attributed as much to the poor strike rate of the Congress party, which contested 70 seats and won only 19, as to Lalu’s negative impact in the last two phases of polling.

Lalu’s speeches damaged the RJD’s prospects since the prevailing perception was that Bihar was on the verge of giving a mandate to a youth like Tejashwi. Lalu’s presence suddenly revived old memories of the Jungle Raj—the 15 years of the RJD rule with Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi at the helm of government. Barring a handful, not even ardent supporters of the RJD wanted a return to the Jungle Raj when law and order was tossed out into the Ganga, police and bureaucrats were forced to bend backwards before RJD cadres, kidnapping became the most lucrative industry in the state, and Bihar plunged into the darkest phase of its history.

The BJP-led NDA tried its best to remind Bihar voters of the impending Jungle Raj if the RJD were to return to power under Tejashwi. And Tejashwi did not want to take that risk. He has used his lineage to reach where he is now and probably thought he could do well without his father’s help this time. The memories of coming so close yet falling short in 2020 continue to haunt him. Consequently, he decided that the best place for Lalu in the Bihar election was to rest at home. This surprised none, though many expressed remorse that Lalu’s name or pictures were not even used in the RJD’s posters and banners.

Tejashwi’s track record is not spotless, though. He served as deputy chief minister for just over three years in two stints under Nitish Kumar. On both occasions, a wave of unlawful activities began, and gun brandishing started. To top it all, Tejashwi and his elder brother Tej Pratap began the construction of LARA Mall (taking the initial letters of their parents’ names) on an allegedly ill-gotten piece of land in the heart of the state capital, Patna. The land is believed to be part of the Land for Job scam during Lalu’s tenure as the federal railways minister. The entire Lalu clan is accused and currently out on bail. Questions continue to be raised about how Tejashwi acquired his riches when he is a school dropout, had no business experience, and had a short career as a cricketer, playing just one Ranji Trophy match for Jharkhand and never the IPL, although he was a contracted player for the Delhi Daredevils for two years at the minimum base price. Officially, he declared his wealth to be worth Rs 8.98 crore in his election affidavit, which in real terms could be manifold.

It is clear that even before Bihar could, Tejashwi has effectively thrown Lalu out of Bihar politics, even as the entire state continues to savour the potato-stuffed samosa.

Ajay Jha is a senior journalist, author and political commentator.

Published on: Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 06:28 AM IST