The expulsion of Tej Pratap Yadav and his ‘mysterious love story’ with Anushka Yadav

RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son and former Bihar minister, Tej Pratap Yadav, has once again found himself at the centre of a controversy.

He has been expelled from the party for six years over what has been described as “disregard for moral values in personal life”, amid a row over a now-deleted social media post featuring his ‘partner’.

The Facebook post, which went viral, claimed that Tej Pratap Yadav had been in a long-term relationship with a woman named Anushka Yadav.

“The one seen in this picture is Anushka Yadav. We have known each other for the last 12 years. We are in love and have been in a relationship for 12 years,” the post said.

So, who is Anushka Yadav? Why has Tej Pratap Yadav been expelled from the party? And who was he married to before? Let’s take a look at the answers to these questions and more.

Who is Anushka Yadav?

Not much is known publicly about Anushka Yadav. She seems to keep a low profile and is not linked to any known public role.

Interest around her identity grew after the viral post claimed she had been in a relationship with Tej Pratap Yadav for the past 12 years.

As per available details, her family lives in Langartoli, Patna, and her father’s name is Manoj Yadav.

Anushka is also believed to be the sister of Akash Yadav, who earlier served as the state president of RJD’s student wing, according to a report by CNN-News18.

It was Tej Pratap Yadav who had appointed Akash Yadav to the post.

However, RJD’s state president Jagdanand Singh later removed Akash and replaced him with Gagan Yadav.

Following this, Akash Yadav left Tej Pratap’s side and joined hands with political rival Pashupati Paras.

The row over Tej Pratap’s ‘relationship’ post

The former Bihar minister caused a controversy after he posted on social media that he had been in a relationship with Anushka Yadav.

He also shared a photo of himself with the young woman, writing in the caption, “The one seen in this picture is Anushka Yadav. We have been known to each other for the last 12 years. We are in love and have been in a relationship for 12 years.”

Soon after, Tej Pratap claimed his Facebook account had been “hacked”. He alleged there was an attempt to “defame and harass” him and his family.

In a clarification post written in Hindi, he said, “My social media platforms have been hacked and my photos are being edited inappropriately to harass and defame me and my family. I appeal to my well-wishers and followers to stay alert and not pay attention to any rumours.”

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav responded by expelling his elder son from the party for six years over what he called “irresponsible behaviour”. He also announced that he was cutting all family ties with him.

In a statement, he said, “Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour of the eldest son are not in accordance with our family values and traditions.

Therefore, due to these circumstances, I remove him from the party and family. From now on, he will not have any role of any kind in the party and family. He is expelled from the party for 6 years.”

The post led to sharp reactions online, with many users pointing out that Tej Pratap, now 37, had married in a grand ceremony in 2018.

Aishwarya Rai & Tej Pratap’s failed marriage

Tej Pratap Yadav married Aishwarya Rai, the grand-daughter of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Rai, in 2018.

But the marriage soon hit trouble. Within a few months, Aishwarya left his home, claiming she had been forced out by her husband and his family.

Her father, Chandrika Roy, a former minister, resigned from the RJD and said he would support his daughter’s fight “politically and legally”.

The couple’s divorce case is still being heard in a family court in Patna. Since the split, both sides have continued to accuse each other, according to CNN-News18.

Yadav has alleged that his wife demanded a large sum as alimony. Aishwarya, on the other hand, has accused him of drug use and claimed that he would dress like a woman in private.

The development comes ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar, which are scheduled to take place later this year.

With inputs from agencies