The brief but tense encounter occurred when Tej Pratap, who was being interviewed by YouTuber Samdish Bhatia, ran into his younger brother Tejashwi. Despite standing face-to-face, neither exchanged a word. Tej Pratap, now leading his own outfit — the Janshakti Janata Dal — was reportedly at the airport to board a private helicopter for an election event.
Witnesses said Tej Pratap had stopped by a duty-free shop to purchase a black bundi jacket when Tejashwi approached. “Is brother doing shopping?” Tejashwi asked the YouTuber jokingly. When Bhatia replied, “He is giving me a gift,” Tejashwi remarked, “You are very lucky.” Tej Pratap remained silent, resumed his purchase, and walked away without responding.
The silent exchange comes months after Lalu Prasad expelled Tej Pratap from both the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the family circle. In a statement posted on X on May 25, Lalu accused his elder son of “irresponsible behavior” and “neglecting moral values,” adding that such conduct weakened the family’s “collective struggle for social justice.”
Tej Pratap, contesting the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls from Mahua constituency in Vaishali district, has since been vocal in his criticism of Tejashwi. Political observers say Wednesday’s incident underscores the widening divide in one of Bihar’s most prominent political families.
Both the RJD and the newly formed Janshakti Janata Dal have refrained from commenting officially on the viral video. However, party insiders describe the relationship between the brothers as “irreparably strained” ahead of the elections.
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