Tejashwi Yadav 'missing' when Bihar battling with encephalitis, heatstroke

As Bihar grapples with rising number of deaths due to encephalitis and heatstroke, speculation is rife over the whereabouts of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has been not been seen or heard ever since the party's rout in Lok Sabha elections.

According to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) sources, Tejashwi may to be in Delhi for hearing in a disproportionate assets case in a Delhi court.

He was seen campaigning for the party on May 17 but failed to exercise his vote on May 19 in Patna. However, the only time Tejashwi was seen in the public domain after May 17 was during the meeting to review the poll drubbing at his mother and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi's residence on May 28.

RJD failed to win a single seat in the state during the recently-held Lok Sabha polls while its ally Congress could win only one seat.

Sources said even senior party leaders were annoyed with the "neglect" by Yadav at a time when it was ripe for Opposition to pull up the JD-U-BJP coalition government over the rising number of deaths in the state due to encephalitis and heatstroke.

RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari told ANI, "Tejashwi Yadav has gone out of station due to some family reasons."

It is worth mentioning here that Tejashwi's passport has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over his alleged connection in IRCTC and land scams.

He was also not seen out at two main big family events--the yearly Iftar party, which was hosted his mother Rabri Devi on June 2 and father Lalu Prasad's 72nd birthday on June 11, usually celebrated by party workers in a big way.

The death toll due to encephalitis in Muzaffarpur rose to 100 on Monday, officials said.

According to official data, 83 children have died in Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), while 17 have lost their lives in Kejriwal hospital in the city.

The death toll due to heatstroke touched 35 at a Bihar government-run medical institution in Gaya on Monday. Apart from this, 106 patients are undergoing treatment for heatstroke in the hospital.