Akhilesh Yadav Reaches Out to Tej Pratap Amid Family Rift, Signals Political Affinity
Patna: In a moment of public empathy and political undercurrent, Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav reached out via video call to Tej Pratap Yadav, the estranged elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. The call comes days after Tej Pratap’s dramatic expulsion from both the Rashtriya Janata Dal and his own family following a controversial social media post.
Tej Pratap, visibly emotional during the exchange, later shared a screenshot of the video call on social media. In a heartfelt caption, he wrote, “Today I had a long conversation on video call with one of the dearest members of my family, former Chief Minister of UP, Hon’ble Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, during which the political situation of Bihar was also discussed… Akhilesh ji has always been very close to my heart and today when I got a sudden call from him to inquire about my well-being, it felt as if I am not alone in this fight.”
आज मेरे परिवार के सबसे प्यारे सदस्यों में से एक यूपी के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री माननीय श्री अखिलेश यादव जी से वीडियो कॉल पर लंबी वार्ता हुई,इस दौरान बिहार के राजनीतिक हालातों पर भी चर्चा हुई….अखिलेश जी हमेशा से ही मेरे दिल के काफी करीब रहे है और आज जब मेरा हालचाल लेने के लिए उनका… pic.twitter.com/5BLu1FxEsc
— Tej Pratap Yadav (@TejYadav14) June 25, 2025
Akhilesh Yadav shares familial ties with Tej Pratap—he is the uncle of Tej Pratap’s brother-in-law Tej Pratap Singh Yadav. Their bond, however, has long extended beyond bloodlines, with Tej Pratap often visiting Lucknow in quieter moments of political turmoil. The timing of this call, though, is being closely watched in political circles, especially with Bihar headed into assembly elections next year.
The episode follows Tej Pratap’s claim that his Facebook account was hacked after a romantic post and photo with a woman named Anushka Yadav went viral. He alleged it was part of a “conspiracy to defame” him. The post triggered swift and stern action from Lalu Prasad, who reportedly expelled his elder son from both the family and the party. The move was publicly supported by his siblings—Tejashwi Yadav, Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya.
Still locked in a divorce battle with his first wife, Aishwarya Rai, Tej Pratap has maintained a defiant tone. Earlier this week, he accused “4-5 people” of plotting his political isolation and vowed to expose the alleged conspiracy in due time.
His sudden outreach to Akhilesh Yadav—and the emotional resonance it carried—has reignited speculation about Tej Pratap’s next political move. While no formal alignment has been announced, the symbolism of the video call has not gone unnoticed. In a political season already ripe with realignments and rivalries, Tej Pratap’s isolation could soon morph into a new chapter in Bihar’s ever-volatile landscape.
