Tejashwi Yadav misled by aides, must return to field: RJD veteran

RJD senior leader Shivanand Tivary has questioned the disappearance of Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav from the political scene after the party’s crushing defeat in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. Tivary advised Tejashwi to return to the field without delay.

In an open letter addressed to Tejashwi, Tivary held Sanjay Yadav and former RJD Bihar president Jagadanand Singh, both considered close to the RJD’s de facto chief, responsible for keeping him in the dark.

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He wrote, “Sanjay and Jagta Bhai both blindfolded you. They showed you a lush green picture, and in return they gained a lot. You also liked what they showed. But after everything was lost and the truth came out, you couldn’t face it.”

“My advice is: return immediately. Travel across Bihar, not as a leader but as a party worker. Only then will the future be saved. Remember, time waits for no one,” he added.

Recalling the time when Tejashwi had taken charge of the party, Tivary mentioned that he had told him his father would not be the right mentor. After the Mandal campaign in the 1990s and the arrest of L K Advani, Lalu Prasad had received unprecedented public support but lost it soon after. The hero of the 1990s was reduced to just 22 seats in 2010.

He said, “You have done a little better. You are a recognised Leader of the Opposition. But after the results, you disappeared! You should have sat with your colleagues, right down to the grassroots workers. You should have encouraged them so their morale would stay intact even after defeat. Instead, you deserted the field.”

State BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel also launched a sharp attack, saying, “Tejashwi Yadav should think about Bihar as well after returning from abroad.”

Patel said on Wednesday that it is the responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition to work seriously on issues related to the state’s problems, challenges, and public interest. But the people of Bihar are shocked to see that whenever the state needs a strong Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav appears busy with vacations and foreign trips.

“We certainly expect that after returning from abroad, he would think about Bihar, come down to the ground, and tell the public whether he has any concrete agenda for the state’s development or not,” he added.