Tej Pratap Yadav (PTI)
NEW DELHI: Tej Pratap Yadav on Friday ruled out any possibility of returning to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), saying he would “choose death over returning to that party.” The elder son of the former CMs Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi said he was guided by “principles and self-respect,” not political power.In an interview with PTI, Tej Pratap – who was expelled from the RJD by his father earlier this year – said, “I am not hungry for power. Principles and self-respect are supreme for me.” Having launched his own political outfit, the Janshakti Janta Dal (JJD), Tej Pratap is contesting from Mahua, the seat from where he made his electoral debut in 2015. “I have been attached to this constituency since much before I entered politics,” he said, adding that residents often tell him they were happy with his work as MLA. Tej Pratap dismissed the challenge from sitting RJD MLA Mukesh Raushan, a close aide of his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, and said, “People tell me they have nobody to turn to for help now.”The former minister filed his nomination papers carrying a photograph of his late grandmother Marichiya Devi. “Of course, she was the one with whose blessings my father rose in politics,” he said. Asked if he had sought his parents’ blessings, he added, “We have not talked for some time. But I know their blessings are with me.”On Tejashwi, who has been declared the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate, Tej Pratap said, “It is politicians’ trait to make announcements of various kinds. But power is enjoyed only by one who gets the people’s blessings.” He also remarked, “Of course, as a younger brother he used to have my blessings. I could not have unleashed the Sudarshan Chakra on him.”The JJD] chief maintained his opposition to the BJP-RSS, saying, “People are not going to be deceived by the nefarious designs of the BJP-RSS combine anymore.”Asked how this election differs for him now that he is not with the RJD, Tej Pratap replied, “Nothing is different. People of Mahua are my family. I am contesting elections under my own party, the symbol of which is blackboard.”Pointing to an elderly companion during the interview, he said, “Somebody who has seen Mahatma Gandhi with his own eyes is travelling with me. What else do I need?”On Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, Yadav said, “He is at best a trader. He does campaign work for parties by assembling resources. That’s what he is doing now.”
