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Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav’s journey is one of transition, from the cricket pitch to the political arena, but also of legacy as the youngest son of two former chief ministers of Bihar – Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi. At present, going into the Bihar assembly elections, Tejashwi Yadav is positioned as the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan for the second time after the 2020 polls. The former deputy chief minister served under Nitish Kumar twice before things went south in their alliance and the JD(U) returned to the NDA fold. He will now be taking on the veteran politician in a direct fight and is one of the most high-profile candidates, contesting from Raghopur, in the first phase of the polls on November 6. 2010: A POLITICAL INITIATION Tejashwi may have started with a career in cricket, but his initiation into politics happened 15 years ago in 2010 when he began campaigning for the RJD. But a decisive commencement in politics came when he won from the Raghopur constituency for the first time in the 2015 assembly elections. This victory was achieved as part of the then-formed Mahagathbandhan. Following this success, the RJD leader served his first term as the deputy CM of Bihar from 2015 to 2017 under Nitish Kumar. During this 17-month tenure, he handled portfolios including the minister for road construction, a role for which he became well known. But 2017 also marked a setback for him when the alliance collapsed after Nitish Kumar switched sides, citing corruption allegations against him. Despite this, Tejashwi grew into his role as the leader of the opposition. He led the Mahagathbandhan as the CM candidate in the 2020 elections, campaigning vigorously on promises such as providing 10 lakh jobs. An impressive performance by the alliance solidified his position as the leading opposition figure. The Mahagathbandhan reformed in August 2022, and Tejashwi Yadav was sworn in for a second term as deputy CM. In this stint, he actively pushed Nitish to deliver on employment promises, leading to more than five lakh government appointments. But this term, too, was not destined to last long and was cut short in January 2024 when Nitish jumped ship yet again to rejoin the NDA. YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY While Tejashwi may be recognised as the political heir in the RJD, in his family he is the youngest of nine siblings. He effectively became the de facto leader of his party in March 2018, and is a member of its national executive. His family has always been a double-edged sword when it comes to leaving behind a political legacy, despite both his parents having been CMs. But he has publicly acknowledged his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s contribution to the state and India, praising the social revolution heralded by him to demand inclusion, representation and upliftment of the historically marginalised. Along with both his parents, he has been named as an accused in high-profile cases including the IRCTC hotel tender scam and the land-for-jobs scam. Tejashwi has seven sisters and one elder brother, Tej Pratap. There has been a significant family rift after Lalu Prasad expelled Tej Pratap from the RJD. The estranged Tej Pratap, in return, has unfollowed Tejashwi on social media. When his brother was expelled, Tejashwi had said the party “cannot tolerate such things” but respected his brother’s “personal decisions” as an adult. WHY A ‘WATER BOY’? Born on November 9, 1989, in Bihar’s Gopalganj, Tejashwi initially aspired to a professional cricket career. He attended Delhi Public School (DPS) in Vasant Vihar and later DPS, RK Puram. He dropped out before completing Class 10 to focus entirely on sports. A right-arm spinner and middle-order batsman, he was selected for the Delhi under-15 cricket team at the age of 13, where he played as an all-rounder on the championship-winning team captained by Virat Kohli. He went on to play for the Delhi U-17 and U-19 teams, and was selected as a standby player for the U-19 India team for the World Cup. Despite these early successes, his professional career was limited. He was contracted by the Delhi Daredevils for four seasons (2008 to 2009 and 2011 to 2012) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but he never played a single match. He played domestic cricket for Jharkhand, recording a limited professional career. But the most famous anecdote linked to Tejashwi is from his time as a cricketer when his father, Lalu Prasad, expressed his disappointment over his son not getting playing opportunities in the IPL. He raised the issue publicly around 2012 in Parliament and reportedly quipped that his son was relegated to simply carrying water bottles and towels for the actual players on the field as a spare player. This remark was made during a discussion about an alleged IPL scandal, where Lalu Prasad used his son’s non-playing situation to criticise the league. FATHER TO TWO CHILDREN Tejashwi married his long-time friend, Rachel Godinho, in a private and low-key ceremony conducted as per Hindu rituals in Delhi on December 9, 2021. The couple had known each other since their time studying together at DPS, RK Puram. Rachel Godinho adopted the name Rajshree Yadav after marriage, which was reportedly given by Lalu Prasad. The couple has since welcomed two children – their first child, a daughter named Katyayani, was born in March 2023. In May 2025, Tejashwi Yadav and Rajshree welcomed their second child, a son.
