PATNA: About a month before Bihar went to the polls in October, an RJD hoarding in front of the party headquarters at Beer Chand Patel Marg in Patna caused a stir. He had a life-size photo of Tejashwi Yadav, alone. His father, RJD boss Lalu Prasad, and his mother Rabri Devi, together a fixture on RJD posters for at least a decade, were missing.
The towering poster from Tejashwi, who turned 31 on Monday, began talking about him “marginalizing” his father to take full control of the party. The media speculated and political rivals mocked him for “ignoring” his imprisoned father. But this was a consequential step designed to signal a break with his controversial father and mark a new beginning in the volatile state where “Lalu raj” still evokes raw emotions.
Not doing things by halves has been a hallmark of Tejashwi. Shayama Chona, the principal of his school in Delhi, remembers him as an “adorable” child “so busy playing cricket” that they had to stop him. Former Delhi and District Cricket Association sports secretary Sunil Dev told TOI that despite being a good player, Tejashwi seemed to have lost interest in the game while on the U19 team. “His political background was catching up with him.”
And Tejashwi finally caught up with Bihar’s politics uproar, leading in 2020 the opposition indictment against the dominant ruling bloc of JDU and BJP.
Tuesday’s results in which the JDU-BJP triumphed in a thriller showed that Tejashwi’s daring attempt to position itself as a post-Lalu Yadav scion had propelled RJD. But success was also an indicator of his limits, as his association with RJD is too umbilical to be cut short by the focus on the economy and jobs and a certain populism. The cast of voters outside of RJD’s MY core continues to mistrust the party’s caste composition.
Many believe that now is when the difficult part begins. Tejashwi will have to avoid the failings of other political legatees and appear committed and involved in politics. Vacations and sabbaticals could hurt you in the game of perception. At the same time, his ground game would have to be Lalu-class, focused and perceptive. You will have to sweat.
Tuesday’s results in which the JDU-BJP triumphed in a thriller showed that Tejashwi’s daring attempt to position itself as a post-Lalu Yadav scion had propelled RJD.
The towering poster from Tejashwi, who turned 31 on Monday, began talking about him “marginalizing” his father to take full control of the party. The media speculated and political rivals mocked him for “ignoring” his imprisoned father. But this was a consequential step designed to signal a break with his controversial father and mark a new beginning in the volatile state where “Lalu raj” still evokes raw emotions.
Not doing things by halves has been a hallmark of Tejashwi. Shayama Chona, the principal of his school in Delhi, remembers him as an “adorable” child “so busy playing cricket” that they had to stop him. Former Delhi and District Cricket Association sports secretary Sunil Dev told TOI that despite being a good player, Tejashwi seemed to have lost interest in the game while on the U19 team. “His political background was catching up with him.”
And Tejashwi finally caught up with Bihar’s politics uproar, leading in 2020 the opposition indictment against the dominant ruling bloc of JDU and BJP.
Tuesday’s results in which the JDU-BJP triumphed in a thriller showed that Tejashwi’s daring attempt to position itself as a post-Lalu Yadav scion had propelled RJD. But success was also an indicator of his limits, as his association with RJD is too umbilical to be cut short by the focus on the economy and jobs and a certain populism. The cast of voters outside of RJD’s MY core continues to mistrust the party’s caste composition.
Many believe that now is when the difficult part begins. Tejashwi will have to avoid the failings of other political legatees and appear committed and involved in politics. Vacations and sabbaticals could hurt you in the game of perception. At the same time, his ground game would have to be Lalu-class, focused and perceptive. You will have to sweat.
Tuesday’s results in which the JDU-BJP triumphed in a thriller showed that Tejashwi’s daring attempt to position itself as a post-Lalu Yadav scion had propelled RJD.
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