PATNA: The traditional ‘Dahi-Chuda’ feast linked to Makar Sankranti has sparked fresh political debate in Bihar, with senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari publicly criticising Tejashwi Yadav for not hosting the customary gathering and praising his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav for organising the event.
Tej Pratap Yadav, leader of the Janshakti Janata Dal, hosted a Makar Sankranti ‘Dahi-Chuda’ party that was attended by RJD president Lalu Prasad. In contrast, no such feast was organised at the 10 Circular Road bungalow in Patna, where Lalu Prasad lives along with Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav.
In a Facebook post, Shivanand Tiwari wrote, “Today (Wedensday), the politics of the Makar Sankranti Chura-Dahi feast is in full swing. If there is one person who seems completely immersed in this, it is Tej Pratap. Tejashwi is completely absent. There is silence at 10 Circular Road. It is the same 10 Circular Road, where RJD workers from every corner of Bihar once thronged. The ‘Chuda-Dahi’ was just an excuse. The real purpose was to meet the leaders. There were greetings and respectful salutations. Everyone returned to their areas with renewed energy from here. Today, it was needed even more...”
He further added, “Workers, dejected by the election results, needed reassurance. They needed to be motivated for the future. But when the leader himself is dejected, and nowhere is seen in the field, who will energise the party for the future?”
Tiwari also remarked, “Tejashwi is missing. Tej Pratap is everywhere. Those who had fixed the date for Tejashwi's oath-taking ceremony as chief minister, and who had removed Tej Pratap, considering him a major obstacle in their path, where are those people now?”
Lalu Prasad’s presence at the feast hosted by his elder son marked his first public appearance with Tej Pratap nearly eight months after expelling him from the RJD and distancing him from the family. The event was also attended by Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and other dignitaries.
Tej Pratap’s mother Rabri Devi and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, did not attend the feast.
After his expulsion from the RJD, Tej Pratap floated his own party, the Janshakti Janata Dal, and unsuccessfully contested the 2025 Assembly election from Mahua in Vaishali district. He was expelled from the RJD by Lalu Prasad over “irresponsible behaviour” and “violation of family values” following a Facebook post last year that featured him with a woman. Tej Pratap later claimed his account had been hacked and deleted the post.
When asked by reporters whether he would merge his party with the RJD, Tej Pratap said the situation was the other way around, asserting that the RJD would instead merge with his party.