Patna, July 26 (IANS) In a significant political development ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Tej Pratap Yadav—former environment, forest and climate change minister—has announced that he will contest the upcoming elections as an independent candidate from the Mahua constituency in Vaishali district.

Tej Pratap, who previously won from Mahua in 2015 and from Hasanpur in 2020, said, “Mahua is my karmabhoomi. I have an emotional connection with it. I will fight for its development and make it a district.”

While asserting that he is not floating a political party, Tej Pratap said he has launched an “open platform” called Team Tej Pratap Yadav, aiming to bring together youth and marginalised voices. “It is not a political party but a social platform. Our doors are open to everyone,” he said.

He also issued a warning to his former party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), stating that “If RJD gives the Mahua ticket to someone else, the people will ensure that the candidate is defeated.”

Tej Pratap’s decision to return to Mahua, after being shifted to Hasanpur in 2020 on his father’s advice, marks a turning point in his political career—and potentially a challenge to the RJD itself.

He won both elections under the RJD banner but was recently expelled from the party and estranged from the Yadav family after controversial social media posts and viral photos with a woman named Anuska Yadav surfaced.

His move to contest independently comes at a time when political equations are in flux ahead of the expected October-November Assembly elections, with the term of the Bihar Legislative Assembly ending on November 22, 2025.

Political observers say Tej Pratap’s announcement may not only divide traditional RJD votes in Mahua but could also embolden other dissident voices within the party.

Some analysts view this as a soft launch pad for his separate political identity, especially with his repeated emphasis on “youth representation, emotional connect, and open politics.”

–IANS

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