Inside the Lalu family feud: Who are Sanjay Yadav and Rameez Nemat Khan?

Rohini Acharya's dramatic exit from politics has pushed two behind-the-scenes players into the spotlight - strategist Sanjay Yadav and Rameez Nemat Khan, both accused of isolating her from the family

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is grappling with internal tension after party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, announced that she was quitting politics and distancing herself from her family. Her statement came a day after the RJD suffered a major setback in the Bihar Assembly elections, securing just 25 of the 243 seats.

 

Rohini claimed she took the decision at the suggestion of RJD Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav, a close aide of her brother Tejashwi Yadav. She also named Rameez Nemat Khan, alleging that both men played a role in isolating her and contributing to the party’s decline.

 

"I’m quitting politics, and I’m disowning my family. This is what Sanjay Yadav and Rameez had asked me to do, and I’m taking all the blame," Rohini posted on X.

 

Later, speaking to reporters at Patna airport, Rohini claimed she had "no family". “Ask Sanjay, Rameez and Tejashwi Yadav... they are the ones who pushed me out of the family because they did not want to take responsibility (for election loss),” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

 

Who is Sanjay Yadav?

 

According to The Print, Sanjay Yadav is a postgraduate in computer science from Haryana’s Mahendragarh who worked at a Delhi tech firm before meeting Tejashwi Yadav in 2012. The association evolved quickly, and he is now widely regarded as the most influential figure in the RJD after Tejashwi.

 

According to the report, Sanjay is also known for several key political interventions, including advising that RJD posters feature only Tejashwi to counter ‘jungle raj’ barbs, pushing the promise of 10 lakh government jobs in 2020, and trying to broaden the party’s appeal beyond its Muslim–Yadav base.

 

He also urged Tejashwi to take a softer line on Nitish Kumar’s return to the NDA, a departure from the sharp criticism seen in 2017.

 

Earlier during the RJD's Bihar Adhikar Yatra this year, Rohini Acharya, without naming Sanjay Yadav, had slammed him for his alleged overreach in the party.

 

After she faced backlash, her estranged elder brother Tej Pratap came to her aide, who himself had blamed Sanjay Yadav for his alienation from the family.

 

Who is Rameez Nemat Khan?

 

Rameez Nemat Khan, whose name surfaced through Acharya’s allegations, has been part of Tejashwi Yadav’s inner circle for years. According to a report by AajTak, their relationship began on the cricket field; Rameez captained the Jharkhand Under-22 team in 2008–09, during which the two became close.

 

He reportedly managed key elements of the party’s campaign machinery, including digital operations and war-room coordination. For the last two years, he has been among Tejashwi’s most trusted aides.

 

Born in 1986, Rameez is the son of Nematullah Khan, a professor at Jamia Millia Islamia. He studied at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, and completed his BA and MBA from Jamia, the report said.

 

Rameez is married to Zeba Rizwan, daughter of former Balrampur MP Rizwan Zaheer, a prominent Samajwadi Party figure who has also represented the BSP and contested independently.

 

Internal disquiet grows within the RJD

 

The influence of Sanjay Yadav and Rameez Nemat Khan has been well known within the RJD but seldom openly challenged. Rohini Acharya’s allegations have now brought long-simmering tensions to the surface.