PATNA: The Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), led by former Bihar minister and Lalu Prasad’s estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav, on Friday announced that it will contest forthcoming assembly elections in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to the media after launching the party’s membership drive in Patna, Tej Pratap said the party will field candidates in the upcoming assembly elections in both states, with the state committee set to take the final decision. The assembly polls in West Bengal are scheduled for 2026, while Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in February-March 2027.

“We aim to expand our party’s reach at the national level. Party will make members outside the state as well,” he said in response to a media query.

In the 2025 assembly elections, JJD fielded candidates in 25 constituencies. Tej Pratap Yadav contested from his old Mahua assembly seat but lost. Ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, the party had entered into alliances with some smaller parties.

Tej Pratap also announced plans to launch the party’s official website soon and said leaders have been assigned the task of expanding the organisation.

He extended support to his sister Rohini Acharya, who had left her parental home and announced her decision to quit politics, severing ties with her parents and brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav following RJD’s debacle in the assembly polls.

Tej Pratap pleaded for proper security cover for his sister Rohini, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Saran. “I am also not feeling safe these days. I should also be given proper security,” he added.