Still a child: Tej Pratap mocks Tejashwi ahead of Bihar polls

Patna, Nov 4 (IANS) Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) national president and Mahua Assembly candidate Tej Pratap Yadav took a sharp dig at his younger brother and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, calling him "a child", shortly after the former Deputy Chief Minister wrapped up his campaign in Mahua on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, Tej Pratap said, "He is still a child. After the elections, we'll hand him a jhunjhuna (rattle)."

Tej Pratap added, "If he comes to our area, we'll go to his area too. Then we'll go to Raghopur."

The remark comes amid heightened political tension in Mahua, where both sons of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav appear locked in a face-off.

Tej Pratap, who won from Mahua in 2015 as an RJD candidate, is contesting again under his own banner after being expelled from the party earlier this year. His split from the RJD followed a public fallout with his family over personal controversies, which led him to form the JJD.

Mukesh Raushan, the sitting MLA and Mahagathbandhan's RJD face in Mahua, is once again in the fray - this time locked in a direct, high-stakes battle with his former party colleague and Lalu's elder son, Tej Pratap.

The final leg of campaigning for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 begins on Monday, with leaders of key political parties set to campaign for two more days before the election begins. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed several rallies across the state.

The Prime Minister held public meetings in Saharsa and Katihar districts, while Kharge attacked the NDA government during a rally in Vaishali. Home Minister Shah, meanwhile, made several key announcements, including development projects for Mithilanchal, while addressing rallies in Sheohar, Sitamarhi, and Madhubani.

Earlier, the Prime Minister held a massive roadshow in Patna last week, along with back-to-back rallies in Bhojpur and Nawada districts.

The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.

The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the 243-member Assembly, and the Model Code of Conduct is now in effect across the state.

Polling will cover 121 constituencies in the first phase and 122 in the second.

--IANS

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