PATNA: Pappu Yadav, the firebrand MP from Madhepura and founder of the Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), finds himself in the middle of a dilemma as the 2019 Lok Sabha elections near. The five-term MP is busy preparing the JAP, to play it big in 2019. Unlike Bihar’s 2015 Assembly polls, in which the JAP contested against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Grand Alliance and failed miserably, he now appears keen to be part of the latter’s alliance. But, Tejashwi Yadav, who controls the RJD, is against him.
Despite winning the prestigious Madhepura seat as an RJD candidate in 2014 by beating JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav, Pappu was expelled from the RJD in May 2015 for anti-party activities. His apparent tilt towards the BJP had angered his then patron Lalu Prasad, who is the RJD chief and Tejashwi’s father and is currently serving a jail term following his convictions in the fodder scam.
Pappu, who has been organising numerous public campaigns and rallies across Bihar over the past few months, has closed off the possibility for a place in the NDA with his strident attacks on the alliance and Bihar’s Nitish Kumar-led state government.
The BJP also feels that it does not need a leader like Pappu in its ranks. “The NDA in Bihar feels more confident of itself after Kumar’s JD(U) returned to its fold last year. It does not need any direct or indirect help from outsiders,” said a BJP leader.
Tejashwi is evidently wary of Pappu’s clout among a section of the RJD and his persona as a strong-arm politician. Sources in the RJD said while Lalu is willing to let JAP join the Grand Alliance due to the party’s rising support base across Bihar, Tejashwi is staunchly against it.
“Lalu realises Pappu’s worth. Despite expelling him, he did not petition the Lok Sabha Speaker to terminate his membership. Lalu gave Pappu a party ticket in 2014 even though his affidavit mentioned 24 criminal cases. But the party is now led by Tejashwi,” said an RJD leader.
Helping hand
Pappu’s wish to join the Grand Alliance may be realised with a little help from the Congress. He recently met Congress’ Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil in Patna and party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.