AT around 3 pm, Pappu Yadav leaves his home to reach a programme venue. His black Fortuner is cruising down the Rajabari Road when it is overtaken on either side by young boys on bikes. Yadav slows down and extends his hand towards the boys. From the left, Aman Gian, 17, shakes his hands and says: “Sir, if you win, I will set off more than a hundred firecrackers. You’ve made us famous. Purnia has shot to fame during these elections because of you.”
It’s the day after the elections. Purnia voted on April 26, in the second phase. But even after the elections, Yadav seems to be in a campaign mode. The people in the streets still run towards his car and he still stops to shake their hands and greet them with a namaste.
In Purnia, Pappu Yadav has a dedicated fan base. Gian, only 17, is full of beans about Yadav. He says that when ever he gets to cast his vote, it will go to him. When asked to explain his choice, he says: “I asked all of my friends, and even my teachers, to vote for Pappu sir. I have been his fan ever since I got to know how he helped people during the lockdown. I’m interested in politics. If I become a leader, I will emulate him.”
Purnia is said to be the hottest seat among the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Political analysts and local residents account for Purnia’s prominence by referring to the fact that Yadav contested as an independent.
Manoj Mukul, a senior journalist who has been reporting on Bihar’s elections for several years, believes that the particular sequence of events that unfolded with regard to the Purnia seat put the electoral fight here and Yadav in the limelight.
Denne historien er fra May 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 11, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.
Fading Folks
The recent SC ruling on sub-classification within the SC and ST categories temporarily lifted the hopes of tribal communities in Jharkhand