On a dust-laden road in Mahua market, yellow-green caps flash in the afternoon sun as a group of young men rev up their motorcycles for a roadshow. A loudspeaker atop a campaign truck blares slogans hailing Tej Pratap Yadav as “Lalu ka laal”.

In this small corner of Vaishali district, across the Ganga north of Patna, politics has turned personal. The Mahua Assembly constituency has become the stage for what locals call an “electoral Mahabharat” — a fierce contest between the two sons of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad: the estranged elder, Tej Pratap, and the anointed heir, Tejashwi.

Expelled earlier this year from both the RJD and what Lalu termed the “parivar”, Tej Pratap now leads his breakaway outfit, the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD). He has chosen Mahua — which he once represented — as the battleground to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his: his father’s political legacy.

"People know who is Ram and who is Lakshman,” Tej Pratap declared recently, casting his rebellion in mythic tones. His supporters, who affectionately call him Teju Bhaiya, view the election as a test of strength — proof that the elder son of Lalu still commands loyalty among Yadavs.

Tej Pratap’s main rival is RJD’s Mukesh Roshan, a fellow Yadav. He has urged voters to abandon the RJD’s lantern symbol and instead press the JJD’s blackboard button.

To blunt the challenge, Tejashwi himself descended on Mahua over the weekend, appealing to the faithful to stand by the RJD. “The party is important, people come and go. You must vote for the lantern and ensure Mukesh Roshan’s victory,” he told a rally on Sunday.

A day later, Tej Pratap countered dramatically — flying by helicopter into Raghopur, Tejashwi’s constituency in the same district, to campaign against him. In fiery speeches, he accused his younger brother of “bluffing and looting” the electorate.

“The MLA from here has done no work,” he thundered, claiming to be the true political successor to Lalu Prasad. “They expelled me because they feared a second Lalu Yadav had been born.”

The JJD has fielded over 40 candidates, many in RJD strongholds — an unmistakable bid to cut into Tejashwi’s vote base.

Tej Pratap’s helicopter sorties have also sparked curiosity about his funding. “Where is all this money coming from?” wondered a trader at Mahua market. “If he can spend like this, he’s not just a rebel — he’s a well-funded one,” he said, half-admiring, half-sceptical.

Before his Mahua roadshow, Tej Pratap dismissed his brother as a “bachha” (child). “After the elections, we’ll hand him a jhunjhuna (rattle),” he quipped when asked about Tejashwi’s campaign in Mahua.

On the ground, the rift has split the Yadav vote. Many say they remain with the RJD after Tejashwi’s visit, but a section of younger voters openly back the elder son. “Whatever happens, Tej Pratap is Laluji’s bada beta,” said Bablu Kumar, a Yadav youth at Tej Pratap’s rally. He credited the former health minister for sanctioning a medical college in Mahua in 2015 — now nearing completion. “Teju Bhaiya has promised an engineering college next,” he added.

Others predict that the feud may hand an advantage to rivals. “In the brothers’ battle, LJP’s Sanjay Singh will win,” said Pintu Yadav of Garigama village, forecasting sympathy votes for Tej Pratap. RJD’s Roshan had won the seat in 2020, while Tej Pratap represented Mahua in 2015 before shifting constituencies.

The public falling-out between Lalu’s sons has exposed deep fissures in Bihar’s most storied political family. Tej Pratap’s expulsion in May followed a controversy over a Facebook post featuring him with a woman and hinting at a relationship — later deleted after he claimed his account had been hacked. His personal life has been under scrutiny since his 2018 marriage to Aishwarya Rai, daughter of JDU leader Chandrika Rai, ended in a bitter separation.

Even within the Yadav clan, loyalties are reportedly split — two of Lalu’s seven daughters who are politically active are backing opposite sides. While Misa Bharti is supporting Tejashwi, Rohini is backing Tej Pratap.

The ruling NDA has seized on the spectacle to mock the RJD as a “family-run party tearing itself apart”.

For most within the RJD, Tejashwi’s rise has been both natural and strategic. Lalu handpicked him as successor for his organisational skill and oratory, while Tej Pratap’s frequent outbursts had long been seen as a liability.

At a roadside tea stall, teenager Vikas Yadav was unmoved by the drama. “All these crowds are hired,” he said, watching Tej Pratap’s motorcade go by. “The Yadavs will vote for the lantern, no matter what.”

When the votes are counted on November 14, Mahua’s verdict may decide more than just a seat — it could shape the balance of power within Bihar’s first family of politics.

Airport surprise

Amid the rift, the brothers were spotted together at Patna airport on Tuesday, though the two did not exchange a word.

A video posted by YouTuber Samdish on Wednesday shows Tej Pratap shopping at an apparel store when Tejashwi arrives with ally and VIP chief Mukesh Sahani. Spotting his brother, Tejashwi jokes from a distance: “Bhaiya ko shopping karwa rahe hain (Helping brother shop?)”

Samdish briefly chats with Tejashwi, as Tej Pratap looks at the two from the store. After a while Tej Pratap gets busy with his shopping. “You are lucky,” Tejashwi is heard telling Samdish, possibly for getting his brother to the show. When the YouTuber later asks Tej Pratap if he is not on talking terms with his brother, the elder Yadav sidesteps the question.

Both were at the airport to board separate choppers on the final day of campaigning for the first phase of elections on Thursday.

• Bihar votes today and on November 11