Sanjay Yadav is a Member of the Rajya Sabha and is widely known as the political advisor and close aide to Tejashwi Yadav. Often referred to as the ‘Chanakya’ of the RJD, many believe that nothing moves in the party without his approval. He hails from Mahendragarh in Haryana.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Sanjay Yadav defends what many critics call the ‘jungle raj’ era of Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister of Bihar. He also addresses concerns about Nitish Kumar’s health and explains why Nitish chose to break ties with the RJD.

Sanjay Yadav also discusses the Muslim-Yadav combination, which is often seen as the core of RJD’s vote bank. Sanjay Yadav shares his views on Tej Pratap Yadav and responds to the speculation around whether he is fueling tensions between the Yadav brothers.

00:00 – Introduction

00:32 – Sanjay Yadav RJD’s ‘Chanakya’?

03:23 – Central Agency Raids on Opposition

04:07 – Tejashwi's Tenure as Bihar Deputy CM

05:57 – Mahagatbandhan Seat Sharing

08:25 – ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar

14:41 – RJD’s M-Y Equation

18:24 – Why Nitish Left INDIA Bloc

21:04 – Relationship with Akhilesh Yadav

22:28 – Tejashwi’s ‘Unconscious’ Jibe at Nitish

24:21 – Nitish Kumar’s Return to NDA