How much importance Lalu has given to the second-rung of RJD leaders could also be illustrated by the way his long-time loyalist Ram Kripal Yadav quit the party. Ram Kripal had been Lalu’s staunchest supporter from the beginning of his political career. Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Lalu fielded his eldest daughter Misa Bharti from the Patalipura constituency, overlooking the claims of Ram Kripal, who enjoyed considerable support from voters there. Disgruntled, Ram Kripal decided to hop over to BJP, contest the polls from the same seat, and was made a Union minister after he defeated Misa. Thankfully for Lalu, Tejashwi proved his mettle in the 2020 assembly polls, when he led from the front in Lalu’s absence. Lalu’s elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, is also a beneficiary of dynasty politics. In a short political career, he has twice bagged ministerial portfolios in two Mahagathbandhan governments, even though many senior leaders such as Jagdanand Singh have expressed serious reservations about his capabilities. A big controversy erupted recently when Tej Pratap took Shailesh Kumar (Misa Bharti’s husband) to an official meeting. But then, as the BJP alleged later, that is how Lalu runs his party.