Lalu's son Tej Pratap engaged to ex-minister's daughter

RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder son and former Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav was engaged to Aishwarya Rai, the daughter of former state minister Chandrika Rai in Patna.

Aishwarya Rai is the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai, who briefly served as a Congress CM in 1970, when Lalu Prasad was an emerging student leader.

Tej Pratap Yadav and Aishwarya Rai exchanged rings at a posh city hotel yesterday in presence of family and friends.

Lalu Prasad, who is serving jail terms in connection with fodder scam cases and currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS in New Delhi, could not attend the function.

Bhola Yadav, an MLA and confidante of Lalu Prasad's family, told PTI today that the ceremony was a family affair.

But he added that for the marriage ceremony on May 12, prominent leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee and Sushil Kumar Modi would be invited.

He said the family would also seek permission from court so that Lalu Prasad can attend the marriage.

Chandrika Rai, Aishwarya's father, is a RJD legislative Assembly member from Parsa in Saran district. He served as a minister in the previous RJD dispensation from 1990 to 2005, and again in the Grand Alliance government last year.

Tej Pratap Yadav was number three in the Grand Alliance government and served as health minister.

"The ceremony was attended by family members, close relatives and friends," MLA and party spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav, who oversaw the preparations, said.

Party sources said nearly 200 guests attended the function.

Former deputy chief minister and Tej Pratap Yadav's younger brother Tejashwi Yadav welcomed the guests.

After the ring ceremony, Tej Pratap Yadav and Aishwarya Rai came out and posed for photographs with family members.

The Yadav family said they missed Lalu Prasad.

"It is a happy occasion for the family as my son has got engaged. But we are missing Lalu ji on the occasion. This is the first big ceremony in the family which he could not attend," former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi told reporters.

Tej Pratap Yadav tweeted: "Miss you PAPA" with a sad smiley. Congratulating his brother on his official Twitter handle, Tejashwi Yadav said: "Congratulations@TejYadav14 Bha...!" and retweeted his elder brother's tweet "Miss you PAPA".