Even as brothers Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav face off as rivals in the Bihar Assembly polls, their mother and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi has wished both of them the best.
“Dono beta ke shubhkamna hai (Best wishes to both my sons),” Rabri Devi told reporters. When asked about Tej Pratap’s contest, she said: “He is standing on his own two feet and contesting the polls. Ek maa hai (I’m a mother), my best wishes to both my sons,” she said.
Rabri Devi, also a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, made the remarks on a day when Bihar votes in the first phase of the elections. She, along with husband Lalu Yadav and son and Mahagathbandhan Chief Ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav, cast her vote in Patna.
Rabri Devi also appealed to the people of Bihar to come out in large numbers and cast their votes.
Brother vs brother in Bihar
The Bihar Assembly elections have taken an interesting turn this time, with two brothers contesting from rival parties.
While Tejashwi Yadav is the INDIA bloc’s Chief Minister face and is contesting on RJD ticket in Raghopur, his brother Tej Pratap Yadav is representing his newly-floated Janshakti Janata Dal party in Mahua.
Tej Pratap was expelled from the RJD on May 25 for six years over “irresponsible behaviour” after a controversial post from his Facebook account sparked outrage.
The post claimed that Tej Pratap Yadav and another woman were in a long-term relationship, prompting backlash from social media users, who reminded the leader of his high-profile marriage in 2018 to Aishwarya Rai, granddaughter of former Bihar CM Daroga Prasad Rai.
Not just mother Rabri Devi, RJD’s Rohini Acharya also extended her blessings to her brother Tej Pratap in the Bihar contest. “My blessings are with him. Do you not bless your siblings?,” Rohini Acharya told reporters after casting her vote in Patna.
Voting for the first phase of the Bihar elections is currently underway. It began today at 7:00 am across 121 constituencies in 18 districts of the state this morning, covering approximately 3.75 crore electors and 243 seats.
The next phase of voting is on November 11, and results will be out on November 14.
