The political landscape of Bihar was thrown into turmoil on November 15, 2025, when Rohini Acharya, daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, announced her decision to quit politics and disown her family. Her dramatic exit, coming just a day after the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan alliance suffered a crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections, has sent shockwaves through the state’s political circles and ignited a firestorm of speculation and debate.
According to India Today, Rohini’s move was not just a personal decision but a public spectacle. She took to her X handle (formerly Twitter) to declare, “I am quitting politics and I am disowning my family… This is what Sanjay Yadav and Rameez had asked me to do… and I am taking all the blame.” The statement, cryptic yet direct, immediately grabbed headlines and set off a flurry of questions about the individuals she named and the circumstances that led to such a drastic step.
Rohini’s announcement came on the heels of the Mahagathbandhan’s historic rout in the November 14, 2025, Bihar Assembly election. The RJD, once the largest party in the state, saw its seat count plummet from 75 in 2020 to just 24 or 25 in 2025 (sources vary slightly), marking its worst performance since 2010. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), meanwhile, surged to a commanding victory, securing 202 of the 243 Assembly seats, with the BJP bagging a record 89 seats and JD(U) close behind with 85. Other NDA allies, such as LJP (RV), HAM, and Upendra Kushwaha’s party, also made notable gains.
As reported by Times Now News, the scale of the NDA’s triumph underscored the enduring appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who together delivered a near-85 percent strike rate in the seats contested. For the RJD and its allies, the defeat was not just a setback but a devastating blow that prompted immediate introspection and, in Rohini’s case, a very public reckoning.
But who are the individuals at the heart of Rohini’s allegations—Sanjay Yadav and Rameez—and why did their names surface in this family and political drama?
Sanjay Yadav is a well-known figure in RJD circles. As Times Now News details, he is a close confidant and political advisor to Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu’s younger son and the party’s chief ministerial face. Sanjay Yadav has served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha since April 2024 and is widely regarded as one of Tejashwi’s most trusted aides. His influence within the party, especially among the younger cadre, has only grown in recent years.
Rameez, on the other hand, is a more enigmatic presence. According to India Today, Rameez Nemat is the son-in-law of former Samajwadi Party strongman and ex-MP Rizwan Zaheer from Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh. His father’s name is Niyamatullah Khan. Rameez’s reputation is far from spotless: he faces serious allegations, including involvement in the murder of Firoz “Pappu”, the former chairman of the Tulsipur Nagar Panchayat, who was shot dead on January 4, 2022. Reports suggest that this killing stemmed from a bitter political rivalry over the control of the local panchayat. Rameez, his wife Zeba Rizwan, and father-in-law Rizwan Zaheer were all arrested in connection with the case; while Rameez and Zeba are currently out on bail, Zaheer remains behind bars.
Furthermore, Rameez reportedly has a total of 12 criminal cases registered against him, including charges under the Gangster Act, in both Tulsipur (Balrampur) and Kokhraj police station in Kaushambi district. His name also surfaced during another major disturbance in Balrampur in 2021. Despite—or perhaps because of—these controversies, Rameez is believed to be trying to build his own political influence in Balrampur, leveraging his familial and personal connections, including a cricketing friendship with Tejashwi Yadav.
At Patna airport, Rohini Acharya was candid with reporters, stating, “I don't have a family. You should go and ask Tejashwi Yadav, Sanjay Yadav and Rameez. They are the ones who threw me out of the family. They do not want to take any responsibility. The whole nation is asking why the party failed like this. When you take the names of Sanjay Yadav and Rameez, you are thrown out of the house, disgraced and abused.” This statement, cited by India Today, added fuel to the already raging debate about the internal dynamics of the Yadav family and the RJD’s leadership crisis.
Rohini’s political journey has been marked by both personal sacrifice and public service. As Times Now News recalls, she is a doctor by training and famously donated a kidney to her father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, when he was battling serious health issues. In 2024, she unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Saran seat, but remained a visible presence in her party’s campaign, even amid speculation that she was unhappy with the expulsion of her elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the RJD. During the 2025 Assembly elections, however, she was seen actively campaigning for Tejashwi, seeking to project a united family front despite the underlying tensions.
The aftermath of the election defeat has exposed the deep fissures within the RJD. While the party leadership has tried to put on a brave face—insisting, as reported by India.com, that it is not “despondent” despite the drubbing—the reality is that the Mahagathbandhan’s dream of forming the government has been crushed. The coalition’s seat count fell below the 40-seat mark, a sharp drop from its previous standing, and the BJP has emerged as the dominant force in the state.
Meanwhile, the NDA has wasted no time in consolidating its victory. Senior JD(U) leaders Lallan Singh and Sanjay Jha have held high-level meetings with BJP leaders in Delhi, while discussions continue in Patna to finalize the new government. For the RJD, the road ahead looks uncertain, with questions swirling about leadership, strategy, and the role of influential aides like Sanjay Yadav and controversial figures like Rameez.
As the dust settles on this dramatic episode, one thing is clear: the intersection of family, politics, and personal ambition in Bihar remains as volatile and unpredictable as ever. Rohini Acharya’s exit is not just the story of one woman’s disillusionment but a reflection of the larger crisis facing the RJD and the shifting sands of Bihar’s political landscape.
