This story is from April 20, 2019

Pappu Yadav resorts to door-to-door campaign in Bihar

Pappu Yadav resorts to door-to-door campaign in Bihar
JAP-L chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav interacts with people during an election campaign in Madhepura
MADHEPURA: Once infamous as a muscleman politician, sitting Madhepura MP and Jan Adhikar Party-Loktantrik (JAP-L) chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who is seeking re-election from the seat as independent, is using “heavyweight” bike, locally known as ‘Bullet’, for crisscrossing the rural hinterlands of the constituency as part of his poll campaign.
He describes himself and also acts as ‘Madhepura ka beta’ as he touches feet of the elderly, eats household food served by them and seeks God’s blessing while canvassing in the Yadav-dominated constituency.

TOI joined the cavalcade of Pappu comprising nearly 50 bikes on a hot and sunny day this Monday as he appealed to the electors to give him another opportunity to serve them better.
He starts his day as early as 6 in the morning from one of his relatives’ residence at Professor Colony in Madhepura town. He meets party workers and supporters before leaving for campaigning around 6.30am.
On a stopover at Diwani Tola in Sahugarh village, 3km west of Madhepura town around 9am, he was invited by a family for breakfast. He first touched the feet of an elderly woman and greeted other family members as well. He sat inside a hutment with thatched roof and soon he was served food, which comprised rice, daal, vegetable made of papaya and curd.
“This is how everyone treats me in Madhepura. I have relations with every family. Remember, it is not only elections when I visit them, rather I remain by their side in their happiness and sorrow all the year round. You can ask them,” Pappu said as a large group of villagers surrounded the hutment.

Earlier, Amit Kumar (19) of a neighbouring tola in the same village, said the same thing about Pappu to TOI. “Last year, my mother was seriously ill and local doctors referred her to AIIMS-Delhi. My father had called Pappuji and he made all arrangements for her treatment at AIIMS and provided us accommodation as well. He did this despite the fact that we do not belong to his caste,” Amit said.
Most villagers with whom this reporter talked to portrayed a picture of ‘Robin Hood’ for Pappu. Asked whether he considers himself as Robin Hood of Madhepura, Pappu said, “It is up to the people to decide who I am. As I said, I am ‘Madhepura ka beta’.”
Asked about his perception of being a dabang (muscleman) neta, Pappu said, “Yes, I am dabang but only for protection of common people and their rights. PM Narendra Modi is also a dabang and so is Amit Shah.”
Pappu is handed cellphones after every couple of minutes and he urges his supporters to join his campaign. He also urges people in neighbouring Supaul constituency to extensively campaign for his wife and sitting MP Ranjeet Ranjan, who is a nominee of Congress, a key constituent of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
“I do not want you. I can win this election by myself but don’t leave my wife alone in this battle,” he tells his supporters over the phone.
Incidentally, Pappu, who was expelled from RJD in 2015, had also tried to get a ticket from Mahagathbandhan, but in vain. He is contesting as an independent on the symbol of his party. Mahagathbandhan has fielded veteran Sharad Yadav on RJD symbol against Pappu. Thus, Pappu and his wife are seemingly in opposite camps now.
Asked whether he will campaign for his wife in Supaul, Pappu said, “I have not met my wife for last 28 days. I have not even gone to my own home. Ranjeet is capable enough to fight this war.”
After finishing his food, Pappu reoccupies his brand new bike. As Pappu’s convoy moves in the narrow bylanes of the village, he greets people and touches feet of the elderly. A campaign vehicle with poll songs in Pappu’s support blaring from loudspeaker leads his convoy.
Around 500 metres away, he is stopped at the entrance of a house and a young girl comes with a plate of ‘aarti’. She puts a ‘chandan ka tika’ on Pappu’s forehead and takes his ‘aarti’ to wish him good luck for the elections. Pappu also blesses her by putting his hand over her head, after which the girl takes a selfie with him.
He is again stopped by a group of villagers some 100 metres away, who urge him to come to a hutment, which was surrounded by horde of women within seconds. He enquires about their well-being and drinks ‘sharbat’ offered to him.
As he comes out of the hutment, this reporter again asks him what went wrong between him and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. He says, “It was Lalu who asked me to contest from Madhepura in 2014 general elections. I was keen to contest from Purnia. It gradually appeared to me that he was only concerned about his family and two sons. His younger son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s only identity is that he is Lalu’s son. He has no respect for elders and no knowledge of political history. The situation has gone to such an extent that Lalu family has even made attempts to get me killed.”
Asked about Sharad, Pappu said he is a ‘86 saal ka buddha’ and only Rajya Sabha is the place for him. “No one knows Dinesh Chandra Yadav of JD(U) in Madhepura. All will vote for me,” he said.
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