Unfazed by previous setbacks in Bihar, Tej Pratap Yadav, son of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, is now setting his sights on the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections.
His party, the Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JJD), has officially announced its decision to field candidates in the upcoming polls, sparking intense debate in political circles.
Addressing the media, Tej Pratap confirmed that the party is currently finalizing the list of constituencies and candidates. “We will be active in Bengal, and I will personally visit the state soon to oversee the preparations,” he stated. Following his expulsion from RJD over disciplinary issues, Tej Pratap formed JJD with the ‘Blackboard’ symbol. While his impact in the Bihar state elections was minimal, recent gains in the Patna University Student Union polls have boosted his confidence.
This move poses a significant dilemma for the INDIA bloc. With the TMC and RJD being key allies at the national level, Tej Pratap’s independent foray into Bengal could potentially split the non-BJP vote share, especially among the Hindi-speaking diaspora. Whether he manages to emerge as a dark horse or merely plays the role of a ‘vote-cutter’ remains to be seen.