Editor’s Note
This report details the internal family discord within the RJD following its electoral defeat in Bihar, highlighting a public split as Rohini Acharya, daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav, announces her withdrawal from both family politics and public life. Her decision to reside in Singapore with her husband has further fueled public interest in her personal affairs.
Following the RJD’s defeat in the Bihar elections, discord within Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family has reached its peak, with incidents escalating to a ‘sandal-throwing’ episode at the Rabri residence in Patna. Subsequently, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, announced that she is distancing herself from her family and also stepping away from politics. This has sparked growing public curiosity about her personal life. She lives in Singapore with her husband, investment banker Samaresh Singh, and their three children. She is Lalu Yadav’s second eldest daughter. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rohini contested from the Saran seat but lost by a few thousand votes. She was also quite active in the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, but the electoral defeat sowed the seeds of discord.
Rohini Acharya married Singapore-based investment banker Samaresh Singh in 2002. According to several media reports, Samaresh Singh is the son of former Income Tax Commissioner-rank officer Rao Ranvijay Singh. After marriage, Rohini and Samaresh moved to the USA. Subsequently, they moved to Singapore, where they currently reside with their daughter Ananya and sons Aditya and Arihant.
It is reported that Samaresh Singh holds a BA degree in Economics from Delhi University, a Master’s degree in Economics, Finance, and International Trade from the Delhi School of Economics, and an MBA (Finance) from the INSEAD Business School. He is the Managing Director (Investment Banking Mergers and Acquisitions) at Evercore in Singapore. Prior to this, he held a senior role at Standard Chartered Bank.
The RJD suffered a major blow in the Bihar elections. Out of the 140 seats it contested, it won only 25. Meanwhile, NDA allies registered a spectacular victory on 202 seats in the state. It was after this that friction began within the Lalu family. Party chief Lalu Yadav’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, made explosive allegations against her own family.
Her post ignited discussions about the growing controversy within the Lalu Yadav family.