DNA Special: The 'Emergency' story behind Lalu Prasad Yadav naming his daughter Misa

What highlights the deep-rooted dynasty politics of Bihar is that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has been the chief minister twice while his wife Rabri Devi has been elected as CM thrice. Rabri is currently an MLA from the Legislative Council. 

Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav was a Cabinet minister in the Nitish Kumar government in 2015 while younger son Tejashwi Yadav became deputy chief minister in Nitish Kumar's government in 2015 and 2022. 

Lalu Yadav's elder daughter Misa Bharti is currently an MP in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, she contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019, but lost. Rabri Devi's brothers Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav are both in politics. Both were also MPs from RJD.

Lalu Yadav named his daughter Misa because Lalu Yadav was in jail when Misa Bharti was born in 1976. Emergency was imposed in the country and Lalu Yadav was imprisoned under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act i.e. MISA. 

The movement was started by Jayaprakash Narayan against the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. It was from this movement that Lalu Yadav entered the political arena. 

Lalu Yadav has always been talking about socialism. He says that the ideology of Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia has influenced him the most and he follows the same. Here you need to know that Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia had always opposed the politics of familism. But in Lalu Yadav and his party, familism got the most oxygen.

With Nitish Kumar once again joining hands with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, Tejashwi has once again become the deputy chief minister of Bihar. It will be seen in the coming days whether Tej Pratap or Misa Bharti get a portfolio in the new Cabinet.