In Bihar’s Purnea, all contenders vie for Pappu Singh’s ‘blessings’
The Madhubani residence of former Purnea MP Uday Singh here is buzzing with activity. The 71yearold Mr. Singh, also known as Pappu Singh to his supporters, is not fighting the Lok Sabha election this time, but that has not stopped him from becoming the talk of the town.
All three candidates vying for the Purnea seat in Bihar want his support. Be it Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Bima Bharati, Santosh Kushwaha of the Janata Dal (U) or the Independent candidate Pappu Yadav, all have come to seek his ‘blessings’.
Mr. Singh, a twotime MP from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is no longer associated with any political party. Before joining the Prashant Kishorled Jan Suraj initiative, he was a Congress member. However, he still holds considerable sway over the electorate and his supporters keep visiting his house for advice on the election.
Ms. Bharati and Mr. Yadav visited Mr. Singh’s residence on April 2, and on April 4, Mr. Kushwaha, the sitting MP, met him. The
Hindu was present during the JD(U) leader’s visit. The two had a 15minute closeddoor meeting.
“It was just a courtesy call, nothing more than that. He is like my elder brother. There may be ideological differences but I have always respected him. I came here to take his blessing,” Mr. Kushwaha told The Hindu.
Asked if he sought Mr. Singh’s support given that Mr. Yadav is a strong candidate, Mr. Kushwaha said, “I am not afraid of anyone except god. I am going to win this seat by a huge margin.”
Mr. Kushwaha had defeated Mr. Singh in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the last election, Mr. Singh fought on Congress ticket. On both occasions, he had polled more than 3 lakh votes – 302, 157 votes in 2014 and 3,69,463 in 2019. In 2004, he had defeated Mr. Yadav and in 2009 he beat Mr. Yadav’s mother Shanti Priya.
Significant support
A Rajput, Mr. Singh enjoys the support of Dalits, Muslims and backward classes in the constituency. Of the 19lakh odd voters in Purnea, 40% are Muslims and 60% are Hindus.
The Hindu asked Mr. Singh whom he is backing. ”I am not supporting anyone,” was his reply. “All three met me and I conveyed them my best wishes. They must contest the election on their own. Any candidate who connects with the people will have the upper edge. I have asked my supporters to vote as per their choice and if they don’t like a candidate they have the NOTA option,” he said.
One of Mr. Singh’s supporters, Mumtaz Danish, visited the leader’s house to seek his opinion. “Whatever decision he takes, we will follow. We are loyal voters of Pappuji. He has always helped us,” he said.
Rajesh Rajvanshi, a resident, said no one returns hungry from Mr. Singh’s house. “Everyday hundreds of people visit him and they cannot return without having lunch or dinner. He is always available for the people which makes him special.”
Rajiv Ranjan Singh, another supporter, said one signal from the senior politician can change the fate of a candidate in this election. “Had he contested the poll, he would have given a tough fight to all the candidates,” he said.
Purnea constituency in Bihar goes to the polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 26.