PATNA, June 1 -- Former minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, who was expelled from the party last Sunday after reportedly posting pictures with a woman on social media, has been lying low for the past several days - apparently in a bid to avoid further trouble. If the episode has put the 37-year-old Tej Pratap in a politically tight spot - especially after RJD chief Lalu Prasad himself denounced his actions as irresponsible and against the family's values - it has also seemingly given some "advantage points" to his younger brother, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, helping him further consolidate his position in the party, party insiders say. "In a way, Tejashwi has been the undeclared number two in the party, taking all key decisions for the last few years. He is the face of the party after the RJD chief. There were times when Tejashwi faced uncomfortable situations due to his elder brother's off-the-cuff remarks on organisational matters and even on ticket distribution. This was seen as sibling rivalry. But now it's clear Tejashwi is in the driver's seat and has little challenge from his siblings, especially his elder brother," said a senior RJD leader, seeking anonymity. RJD leaders said that the expulsion of Tej Pratap was not only a swift move to prevent further embarrassment ahead of the state polls but also sent a clear message that sibling rivalry would not be tolerated within the party. They pointed out how Tejashwi strongly defended the RJD chief's decision, even as their elder sisters, MP Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya, also supported the expulsion. "There isn't much left for Tej Pratap, who has become quite isolated now. Unless he manages to reconcile with his family soon, he doesn't have any significant say in the party. It's all Tejashwi and the RJD chief who are in charge," said another RJD leader. Senior leaders recalled that Tej Pratap's mercurial behaviour, his face-off with state president Jagdanand Singh a couple of years ago, and his decision to support candidates against the RJD's official nominees in the 2019 parliamentary polls had caused significant unease for the RJD chief. Tejashwi too had expressed reservations over his elder brother's actions, insiders said. This may be why Tejashwi was given more powers in the 2022 national council meeting, when he was authorised to take decisions on ticket distribution, seats, symbols, and the flag along with the RJD chief. The national executive in 2025 once again passed a resolution authorising the 35-year-old Tejashwi to make all critical party-related decisions. Many in the party feel Tejashwi and senior leaders would now be more comfortable selecting candidates for the coming assembly polls-unlike in previous elections, when Tej Pratap had demanded seats for his loyalists. A few months ago, Tej Pratap, who is a sitting RJD MLA from Hassanpur (Samastipur district), hinted that he might contest from the Mahua assembly seat in Vaishali, claiming that the "people of Mahua love him." The sitting RJD MLA Mukesh Kumar Raushan publicly broke down, fearing he might lose the ticket as Tej Pratap had expressed his interest in contesting from Mahua in the 2025 assembly polls. "If the party doesn't give me the ticket, I won't contest. What else can I do?" Raushan had said angrily, prompting rival JD(U) and BJP leaders to take potshots at the RJD for promoting "dynastic and family rule." Nonetheless, Tej Pratap's political career appears to be on shaky ground after the RJD's firm stance, as there is uncertainty over whether he will contest the coming assembly polls at all, with his own party unlikely to give him a ticket. Interestingly, the party has yet to issue a formal notice of Tej Pratap's expulsion. JD(U) leaders, including spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, have called the "former minister's expulsion just symbolic." "Tejashwi should write to the state assembly to cancel Tej Pratap's membership, but the opposition leader is calling him 'bade bhaiya'. This is all just wordplay," JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar said, targeting the RJD over Lalu Prasad's post on X last Sunday disowning his son and expelling him from the party. One senior RJD leader, however, said the party was following the RJD chief's decision to expel Tej Pratap for six years: "Such matters take time," he said. There are speculations that Tej Pratap may be looking for ways to mend fences with his family and emerge from this difficult situation-though much would depend on whether his parents agree. "This time, Tej Pratap is not finding much favour from his family, especially his parents, because of his own irresponsible actions. But he is still the elder son of the RJD chief and former chief minister Rabri Devi. It's an internal family matter," said another senior RJD leader. A few days ago, Tej Pratap posted on X expressing his happiness over Tejashwi being blessed with a baby boy. Recently, he has also shared posts criticising the state government's failures in various sectors, suggesting that he is trying to reach out to his family by projecting himself as an active political activist of the party....