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Janshakti Janta Dal chief Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, has been booked for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the filing of his nomination papers from the Mahua assembly seat in Bihar’s Vaishali district, police said on Sunday.

According to the district police, the action followed a complaint lodged by the Circle Officer of Mahua after a video surfaced online showing Yadav using an SUV adorned with a police logo and beacon light during a procession on October 16. The footage quickly went viral on social media, prompting an official inquiry.

“It was thoroughly examined and found that the police logo and beacon light used on the vehicle were a private one. Therefore, a case was registered for violation of the election code of conduct,” the statement said.

Tej Pratap Yadav launched the Janshakti Janta Dal earlier this year after being expelled from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by his father Lalu Prasad on May 25. His six-year suspension came after he reportedly admitted to being “in a relationship” with a woman. He later retracted the claim, alleging his Facebook account had been “hacked.”

The fallout led to a public rift within the Yadav family. Lalu Prasad disowned Tej Pratap at the time, citing his “irresponsible behaviour.”

Days after his expulsion, Tej Pratap took to the social platform X to allege a “conspiracy” to create divisions between him and his younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar. In a series of emotional posts, he hinted at betrayal within his inner circle, referring to an unidentified individual as “Jaichand,” a term commonly used in Indian politics to describe a traitor.

The Mahua assembly seat, once considered a stronghold of the Yadav family, will see Tej Pratap testing his political fortunes under a new banner this election season as the model code violation case unfolds.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)