New Delhi: As preparations are underway for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections tomorrow, a video from Patna airport has gone viral on social media. The clip shows an unexpected encounter between estranged brothers Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav.
In the video, recorded during a podcast shoot by YouTuber Samdish Bhatia, Tej Pratap Yadav, the head of the newly formed Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JJD), was looking at Nehru jackets in a clothing store with Samdish when a party worker informed him that his younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, was also at the airport.
Tejashwi, the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate and RJD leader, was seen with Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani.
In the viral clip, Tejashwi smiles and greets the YouTuber, asking, “Are you shopping, brother?” to which Samdish replies, “He’s giving me a gift.”
Tejashwi responds, “You are very lucky,” and then shakes hands with the YouTuber. Moments later, the camera pans back to Tej Pratap, who silently watches all this without saying anything and then turns away.
When the YouTuber asks if the brothers are not speaking to each other, Tej Pratap pauses for a moment, and then softly says that he is “fine.”
The clip has spread rapidly across social media platforms, with users finding the silence between the brothers both awkward and emotional. Many viewers commented that “political differences may divide leaders, but the bond of brotherhood remains.”
One widely shared post read, “All the relationships in the world are one thing, and the relationship of a brother is another – a brother is a brother after all.”
This moment has touched the hearts of people online, coming just a day before the first phase of voting. The two brothers campaigning for different fronts – Tejashwi for the RJD-led Grand Alliance and Tej Pratap leading his own JJD – highlighted the growing political and personal rift within the Yadav family.
In recent months, the tension between the brothers has been palpable. Tej Pratap, who was expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal earlier this year for what the party termed “serious violations of moral and social values,” has repeatedly taken potshots at his younger brother.
Just yesterday, he called Tejashwi “still a child” and remarked that “after the elections, we will give him a toy (rattle),” implying his brother lacks political maturity.
Earlier, Tej Pratap had unfollowed Tejashwi on X (formerly Twitter), further indicating the growing animosity between them.
This family feud is linked to earlier controversies involving Tej Pratap. He was expelled from the RJD and reportedly distanced from the Yadav family after a Facebook post went viral in which he claimed to be in a long-term relationship with a woman, sparking a public controversy.
This post also reignited discussions about his tumultuous marriage to Aishwarya, the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai, who left their home just months after the wedding, alleging abuse. Their divorce case is still pending in court.
Since his expulsion, Tej Pratap has launched his own political outfit, the Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JJD), and has ruled out any reconciliation with the RJD, stating that he would “rather die than return to that party.” He has said that he is guided by “principles and self-respect,” not power.
The JJD chief is contesting from the Mahua constituency, while Tejashwi is leading the Grand Alliance’s statewide campaign alongside Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) leader Mukesh Sahani, who has been projected as the alliance’s deputy chief ministerial face.
Voting for the Bihar Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the results will be declared on November 14.