‘Will always stand by Tejashwi’: Tej Pratap on reports of rift in RJD

“Why should he (Tejashwi) resign (as leader of opposition)? If one does not like his leadership, one can leave the RJD or Mahagathbandhan,” Tej Pratap Yadav said.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav Tuesday told party men to leave the party if they don’t like his younger brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s leadership.

“I am with my younger brother as Krishna and will always stand by him,” Tej Pratap Yadav said. (HT File photo)

“Why should he (Tejashwi) resign (as leader of opposition)? If one does not like his leadership, one can leave the RJD or Mahagathbandhan,” Tej Pratap Yadav told reporters here.

“I am with my younger brother as Krishna and will always stand by him,” he said.

Tej Pratap lamented that had Lalu Prasad been out of jail, the RJD would not have faced the rout.

Tej Pratap, who could not attend the RJD’s Tuesday meeting held at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence to discuss the poll debacle, said he had intimated the party leaders about his inability to attend the meeting.

RJD legislator Maheshwar Prasad Yadav had virtually revolted on Monday against the party leadership asking Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to take moral responsibility for the party’s rout in the elections and resign from the post of the leader of opposition in the assembly.

“As a party MLA, I would request Tejaswhi Yadav to resign from the post of LOP, taking moral responsibility of the poll debacle and appoint any other senior leader of a caste other than Yadavs as the LOP, failing which the party will have to face crushing defeat in 2020 the assembly elections,” Mahesh Yadav had told reporters. Tej Pratap Yadav, however, emphasised upon the need to focus on the 2020 assembly elections for which his brother, he said, needed to mobilize the people’s support.