Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (born 9 November 1989)
He is an Indian politician and former professional cricketer. He served as the 5th Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 10 August 2022 to 28 January 2024.
Yadav held several key positions in the Bihar Government, including Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Minister of Road Construction and Public Works Department, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, and Minister of Rural Works and Development. He has been a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from the Raghopur constituency since 2015. Yadav leads the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the largest political party in Bihar, and is the chairperson of the Mahagathbandhan alliance, which is currently in opposition. In his cricketing career, he played for the Delhi Daredevils and the Jharkhand cricket team. Notably, Yadav was the youngest Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and the youngest Leader of Opposition in India during their respective tenures. He was also featured in ‘100 Most Powerful Indians’ lists in 2020 and 2021.
Sports:
As a child, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav was the captain of his school cricket team. He began attending Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram from Class VI, where he played for the school’s cricket team. At the age of 13, he was selected as an all-rounder for the U-15 cricket team of Delhi, which was captained by Virat Kohli. The U-15 team went on to win the national championship, with Yadav contributing significantly, including a match-winning partnership with Ishant Sharma in the finals.
Yadav left school after Class X to pursue a career in sports. He subsequently joined the U-17 and U-19 cricket teams of Delhi and was also named as a standby player for the U-19 Indian national cricket team, which went on to win the World Cup later that year.
Cricketing Career:
Yadav was contracted by the Delhi Daredevils for the 2008 Indian Premier League season but remained on the reserve bench for the entire period between 2008 and 2012.
In 2009, he was selected for the Jharkhand cricket team at the state level. His professional debut came with four Twenty20 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he primarily played as a bowler. He made his first-class debut against the Vidarbha cricket team in Dhanbad, batting at number 7 and bowling five overs. In 2010, Yadav made his one-day debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, playing two matches against Odisha and Tripura. His team lost the first match and won the second, with Yadav taking a wicket against Tripura.
Yadav retired from cricket in 2013. His coaches noted that he had the potential for a successful career but was hindered by inadequate sports facilities in Bihar and the lack of a domestic cricket team in the state. This situation often forced players from Bihar to move to other states, where local players were given priority.
Politics:
Since 2010, while still pursuing his cricket career, Yadav began his political journey with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He was credited with modernizing the party’s campaigning strategies and introducing digital outreach. According to RJD insiders, Yadav played a key role in persuading Lalu Prasad to form a coalition with Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal (United) after both parties underperformed in the 2014 Indian general election in Bihar. This led to the formation of an alliance with the Janata Dal (United) and the Indian National Congress.
In the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Yadav ran as the candidate of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and was elected to represent the Raghopur constituency. The alliance secured a significant majority in the assembly, resulting in Yadav being appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. He also took on the portfolios of public works, forestry, and environment in the Nitish Kumar cabinet.
In 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a probe into alleged money laundering linked to a 2004 corruption case involving the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. This investigation implicated Yadav and his family, including his parents, Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad Yadav. The controversy led Nitish Kumar to withdraw the Janata Dal (United) from the alliance and form a new government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Consequently, Yadav became the Leader of Opposition as the RJD remained the largest party in the state legislature. Yadav accused the BJP of using government machinery for political purposes. In 2018, the Delhi High Court granted him relief, noting that he was only 14 years old at the time of the alleged events.
By March 2018, Yadav had emerged as the de facto leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. He issued an official apology to the people of Bihar for any lapses or mistakes made by the party during its previous tenure, acknowledging his limited awareness due to his age at the time. During his term as Leader of Opposition, Yadav was also involved in organizing food relief following the 2019 Bihar floods.
In the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, Yadav led the RJD as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Mahagathbandhan. Although the alliance won 110 seats out of 243, with the RJD securing 75 seats, they fell short of the majority required (122 seats) to form the government. As a result, Yadav was elected as the Leader of Opposition.
On 10 August 2022, Yadav took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar alongside Nitish Kumar, who became Chief Minister as part of the renewed Mahagathbandhan with the RJD, Congress, and other Opposition parties. However, in 2024, Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan and formed a new government with the BJP, leading to the end of Yadav‘s tenure as Deputy Chief Minister.