Patna: These were supposed to be smooth elections for India’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) — erstwhile partners of the National Democratic Alliance — fighting separately this time in Bihar.

But estranged relatives and colleagues who have jumped into the poll fray are slowly making things difficult for the RJD, which is now battling hard to regain lost ground.

In the latest blow to the party, Anirudh Prasad, more infamously known as Sadhu Yadav — who inspired Bollywood director Prakash Jha to create his namesake character in the movie Apaharan (kidnapping) — has announced he will contest against his sister Rabri Devi, wife of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, as an independent.

This is being seen by many as an open declaration of war by Yadav against his brother-in-law Prasad’s family.

Ironically, it was Rabri who was instrumental in launching her now estranged brother into politics. She reportedly arm-twisted her husband into co-opting him into the party.

Such was the family pressure that the RJD chief eventually was forced to nominate his brother-in-law to the Upper House of Bihar State Legislature before he made it to the Lok Sabha on the RJD ticket during the 2004 polls.

He was considered a power centre while Rabri was the chief minister of Bihar when her husband was sent to jail in the fodder scam in 1997. Prasad had, this time round, shut the doors on his notorious brothers-in-law.

“I have decided to contest as I want to expose the real face of Lalu Prasad. He is trying to promote his own family — sons, daughters and wife — at the cost of loyal party workers,” Yadav, who has many criminal and corruption cases pending against him, told the media, adding Rabri was no factor in the elections.

He claimed he was familiar with the constituency and would seek votes in the name of development.

Yadav’s entry is set to mar poll prospects for his sister — who is also pitted against BJP heavyweight Rajiv Pratap Rudy — since this may split the Yadav votes.

However, Prasad’s family has downplayed his entry, denying he was any threat to Rabri.

“Had he been a potent force, he would have got a ticket from any party but every party has ignored him this election,” said Rabri alleging he had been propped up by the BJP which, according to her, was apprehensive of its candidate’s chances.

BJP candidate Rudy has lost both the two elections to the RJD candidate in the past. Rabri alleged there would be no compromise with her enemy. Her husband also spit fire on his estranged brother-in-law adding he would not bother who was contesting from where.

Yadav is angry about not getting a ticket from the RJD despite repeated requests.

Yadav, who contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls on a Congress party ticket, had recently met BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Gujarat last year and lavished praises on him.

He was hopeful of getting a ticket from the BJP but his entire plan went haywire as the Bihar unit of the BJP strongly opposed his entry to the saffron party. The Congress party expelled him for showering praises on Modi. With all major parties shutting the door on him, Yadav eventually turned to his brother-in-law but he too would not entertain him, leaving him in the cold.

A similar situation exists in Patliputra, where Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti is contesting. She is locked in a triangular contest with two other Yadav candidates, Ranjan Yadav of the JD-U and RJD defector Ram Kripal Yadav who has been fielded by the BJP.

Both her rivals were earlier associated with the RJD and were close to the RJD chief before they finally fell out.

“It’s true many of her family relations are contesting the polls but they hardly matter in elections. There is no ‘mama’ (maternal uncle) or ‘chacha’ (uncle) in the political arena,” Misa said like a seasoned politician. Curiously, she is making a political debut this time.