NEW DELHI: Ending speculations about a rift with younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday said that two are very close to each other and share a good bandwidth. Tej Pratap, the eldest son of RJD supremo Laly Prasad Yadav, also accused some members of his party of trying to create a feud between the two brothers.
Blaming the party members for not receiving his phone calls, Tej Pratap said that he was determined to eliminate those anti-social elements from the party.
Tej Pratap, 29, urged senior leaders to identify those people and expel them from the party.
"Party people don't receive my phone calls and say they've been asked by seniors leaders to do so. No differences between me and my brother. We'll have to remove elements from the party who want to break us. Want senior leaders to identify and expel them," Tej Pratap Yadav told news agency ANI.
Questioning his family, the eldest son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said that even after toiling hard for the party, Rajendra Paswan was not given a party position.
It was only after he had asked party chief Lalu Prasad, RJD leader Rabri Devi and Tejashwai Yadav, they allocated a portfolio to him.
"People like Rajendra Paswan have toiled for us. After I asked Lalu Ji, Rabri Ji and Tejashwi to give him party position, only then was it done. Why was it done so late," Tej Pratap Yadav added.
Tej Pratap had earlier tweeted hinting at his possible retirement from politics. In a tweet, he referred to epic tale of 'Mahabharata' and mentioned that he wishes to quit and hand over the throne to Arjun (Tejashwi Yadav) and go on a leave.
मेरा सोंचना है कि मैं अर्जुन को हस्तिनापुर की गद्दी पर बैठाऊं और खुद द्वारका चला जाऊँ।
अब कुछेक "चुग्लों" को कष्ट है कि कहीं मैं किंग मेकर न कहलाऊं।।
।। राधे राधे।।
— Tej Pratap Yadav (@TejYadav14) June 9, 2018
"मेरा सोंचना है कि मैं अर्जुन को हस्तिनापुर की गद्दी पर बैठाऊं और खुद द्वारका चला जाऊँ। अब कुछेक "चुग्लों" को कष्ट है कि कहीं मैं किंग मेकर न कहलाऊं।। ।। राधे राधे।। (I think, I should establish Arjun on the throne of Hastinapur and go on a leave to Dwarka. But, there are some 'miscreants' who think that if I do so, I will be called a king maker)," he had tweeted.
The party came under heat following the recent conviction of party president Lalu Yadav in several fodder scam-related cases. Tejashwi Yadav, who played a pivotal role after the formation of the grand alliance including RJD, Congress and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JDU ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, is more active in politics than his elder brother Tej Pratap.
Tej Pratap, who was a Cabinet Minister for Health in the Bihar coalition government, is not seen as the heir apparent to Lalu Yadav's legacy in Bihar where his party RJD was in power for nearly 15 years. Since Lalu has been jailed, Tejashwi is said to be managing the party affairs single-handedly.
