Tej Pratap Yadav Drops Big Hint Of Rift With Brother Tejashwi

Speculation is rife that Tej Pratap has been feeling uneasy with the growing clout of brother Tejashwi.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tej Pratap Yadav, who was recently projected by a youth organization he launched as Arjuna -- the warrior prince in Mahabharata driven by Lord Krishna in the battle of Kurukshetra -- has signaled his readiness again for the driver's seat in the party. During an interaction with the media on Monday, asked whether he was ready to take over the reins of the RJD, Tej Pratap responded "Why not", reported news agency Press Trust of India.

Known for his temple visits and dressing up as gods more than his politics, Tej Pratap Yadav had usually reserved the role of Krishna for himself. It was his brother Tejashwi Yadav, the heir apparent of his father Lalu Yadav, whom he referred to as Arjuna.

But sibling rivalry had surfaced after the politically savvy younger brother took reins of the party after Lalu Yadav was jailed. Reports of bickering between the brothers mushroomed, which appeared to be confirmed by eldest sister Misa Bharati.

At a litti-chokha party in October, Misa Bharati, a parliamentarian of the party, confirmed that the brothers were bickering. She, however, retracted her comment about a "manmutav" meaning differences, claiming that she meant it as advise to partymen to maintain unity.

Tej Pratap Yadav's comment on Monday indicated that the family council held by Lalu Yadav from jail earlier that month, aimed at reconciling the brothers, had not been as successful as the family hoped.

But the matter had got eclipsed by the crisis of Tej Pratap claiming irreconcilable differences with Aishwarya Rai, his wife of six months, and declaring that he would divorce her.  As his parents did their best to dissuade him, Tej Pratap accused them of siding with his wife and left home, claiming he would not be back till they accepted his decision.

Last month, Tej Pratap came back and resumed political activities. After a two-hour meeting with his father in jail, he also claimed the Yadav senior had asked him to "take the party forward". He reiterated that he saw his younger brother as Tejashwi Yadav as "Arjuna" and vowed to play the role of the Lord Krishna.

At the state assembly on the last day of the winter session, he had steered clear of brother Tejashwi Yadav and mother Rabari Devi, both of whom are unhappy over his decision to divorce his wife.