Tej Pratap Yadav, the eldest son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, was arrested on Monday for allegedly backing the Jan Suraaj party during the Bankipur assembly by-election. Political strategist Prashant Kishor accused the Bihar government of orchestrating a political vendetta.
Arrest and Allegations
According to police sources, Yadav was taken into custody after a complaint filed by a ruling party worker claimed he violated the model code of conduct by openly campaigning for Jan Suraaj, a rival candidate. The arrest comes just days before the by-poll scheduled for July 30.
Prashant Kishor, who is leading the Jan Suraaj campaign, said in a statement: 'This is a clear abuse of power. Tej Pratap Yadav was simply exercising his democratic right to support a candidate. The government is terrified of losing the Bankipur seat.'
Political Reactions
RJD workers staged protests outside the police station demanding his release. Party spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari called the arrest 'illegal' and said they would move the high court.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party dismissed the allegations, stating that the law is taking its own course. 'No one is above the law,' said state minister Shravan Kumar.
Impact on By-Election
Political analysts believe the incident could galvanize opposition votes. The Bankipur seat is currently held by the BJP, but the by-election was necessitated after the sitting MLA resigned.
Tej Pratap Yadav is expected to be produced before a magistrate on Tuesday. His arrest has already sparked a war of words between the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance.
