Patna: Tej Pratap Yadav will flag off a foot march from Patna to Sitab Diara, the birthplace of Jayaprakash Narayan, to - according to RJD insiders - counter his brother's recent bicycle rally.

Tej leads the RJD's student wing and thousands of its members will set out from here on Tuesday and end the padyatra (foot march) in Chhapra, Saran, on September 13.

Sources in the RJD said the padyatra has been organised to counter Tejashwi Prasad Yadav's bicycle rally in July. "There is no doubt that there is a struggle between Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav in the family to become Laluji's successor. Tej Pratap has proved that in the recent past by giving several statements. Lalu ji insists matters remain cordial between the brothers, to pretend everything is perfect but things have gone out of his hand now. Both brothers are coming up with their own campaigns and this padyatra is one of them," a senior RJD leader and former parliamentarian told The Telegraph.

Tejashwi had launched his bicycle rally on July 28 with the slogan "NDA Bhagao Beti Bachao" from Gaya's Gandhi Maidan in the presence of senior RJD leaders. Rain failed to dampen spirits as Tejashwi rode 55km from Gaya to Jehanabad on his bicycle. The yatra was scheduled to end in Patna on July 30 but was cancelled after the first day because of heavy rain.

Party sources, however, claim it was cancelled on Tej's intervention.

"Tej Pratap was not part of the bicycle rally but had left Patna on July 28 to reach Jehanabad where Tejashwi was scheduled to take a night halt. Something happened that day and both brothers returned to Patna late night. If Tej wanted to join the bicycle rally, he could have easily joined Tejashwi the next morning but his arrival in Jehanabad was enough hint for Tejashwi to cancel his rally," said another senior RJD leader who was in Jehanabad that day.

He added that Tej decided to launch his separate yatra to show he is capable of doing things separately.

Tej, however, will not take part in the foot march but attend three-four public meetings which would be organised before the members reach Sitab Diara. To stress that everything is well, he has invited Tejashwi and sister Misa Bharti for the concluding function.