The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is grappling with one of its deepest internal crises in years, with party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya at the centre of a bitter family feud that has erupted into full public view.
Mrs Rohini, 47, who lives in Singapore, announced on Nov 15 that she was quitting politics and “disowning” her family, days after the RJD slumped from 75 to 25 seats in the Bihar assembly elections, reported NDTV.
In a series of emotional posts on X, she alleged humiliation and abuse at the family’s Patna residence, accusing her brother and RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav and his close aides of “throwing her out” of the house.
A kidney donor to her ailing father a few years ago, Mrs Rohini said she had been accused of taking “crores of rupees and a party ticket” in exchange for what critics crudely described as a “filthy kidney”.
“Yesterday, a daughter, a sister, a married woman, a mother was humiliated, abuses were hurled, shoes were raised to kill her,” she wrote, adding that she would not compromise on her self-respect and was therefore cutting ties with the party and family.
She later sharpened her attack, challenging those who questioned her sacrifice to donate their own kidneys to poor patients, “counting their last breaths in hospitals”.
In a pointed jibe at Mr Tejashwi’s Haryana-born aide Sanjay Yadav, she urged a “Haryanvi mahapurush”, “sycophant journalists”, and online trolls to lead by example before sermonising about her decision.
In another escalation, Mrs Rohini released a phone call video confronting Bihar journalist Kanhaiya Bhelari, whom she accused of demeaning her for staying at her parental home and for donating a kidney to her father, reported India Today.
Her voice, strained but firm, repeatedly presses him on why a married daughter’s right to support and save her father is being questioned. “Why don’t you ask how a married woman dared to give her father a kidney? Tell me, where is the son?” she demanded, before ending the call by saying he was “not worthy” of speaking to her.
As her posts gained traction, fissures within the Yadav family widened. Sisters Ragini, Chanda, and Rajlakshmi are reported to have left the Patna residence quietly, while another brother Tej Pratap Yadav publicly backed her.
In a strongly worded post, he warned that “Jaichands” – a reference to traitors – would “have to pay the price” for insulting his sister, saying he had tolerated slights against himself but would not accept any against Mrs Rohini.
Under mounting scrutiny, Mr Lalu Prasad broke his silence at a meeting of newly elected RJD MLAs in Patna. Flanked by wife Rabri Devi and elder daughter Misa Bharti, he told party legislators that the issue was an “internal family matter” that would be resolved privately.
“I am there to deal with it,” he reportedly said, urging leaders to focus on strengthening the party after its poor showing at the polls.
At the same meeting, Mr Tejashwi was unanimously chosen as the RJD legislature party leader. He was said to have grown emotional and even offered to step aside before hinting that he had been pressured to deny “someone” a ticket but refused, asking whether he should prioritise the party or family.
Mrs Rohini’s own journey has added to public interest. Married to Singapore-based investment banker Samaresh Singh since 2002, she moved abroad after her marriage and now lives in the city-state with their three children.
Despite this, she has remained closely involved with the family and the party, contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Saran, though unsuccessfully.
Her decision to donate a kidney to her father had long been held up by supporters as an act of filial devotion. Today, she says the same act is being thrown back at her cruelly. “I did what I did to save my god, my father, and today it’s been called dirty,” she wrote. “May no family ever have a daughter like Rohini.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party has seized on the rift, accusing Lalu of favouring his son over the daughter who saved his life.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha said the feud reflected “anarchy” within the RJD, questioning how those who “cannot keep their own family together” could run the state.
For now, Mr Lalu insists the matter will be settled “inside the house”. But with Mrs Rohini refusing to back down, Mr Tejashwi under pressure after the electoral debacle, and the feud playing out in full view of the public, both the family and the party face a long, bruising road to reconciliation.
RELATED STORIES
18 Nov 2025 15:26
