Pappu Yadav sees opportunity to become mascot of Yadavs amid waning influence of Lalu Prasad

PATNA: Laid low by the humiliating drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, RJD is now troubled by its over-ambitious MP from Madhepura, Rajesh Ranjan, alias, Pappu Yadav. A section of the party has openly backed the burly politician who has tried to portray the image of Robin Hood image in Bihar’s North Kosi and Seemanchal area.

Of late, Pappu Yadav has become very active, as he sees an opportunity to become a political mascot of the numerically strong Yadavs as RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been forced to take a back seat due to health reasons and conviction in a case.

Pappu Yadav had charted an independent course by floating the Yuva Shakti Sanghathan and launched agitations against doctors but the RJD leadership has reasons to believe that he has been buttressing his case at the expense of the party.

“RJD youth workers have been asked to keep away from the Yuva Shakti Sanghthan of Pappu Yadav. The party will initiate action against them if they are found participating in the programmes. Yuva Shakti is not a frontal organisation of RJD, nor has it any right to use the party’s flag for any purpose” RJD president Ramchander Purve said, hinting at action against Yadav for breaching party discipline. The five-term MP, as acquitted in the Ajit Sarkar murder case in 2013, however, remains unfazed despite the warning of the party leadership .

“Laluji is our undisputed leader, and we are fighting for the cause of the poor people. Again Yuva Shakti is an organisation which is fighting for the rights of impoverished and downtrodden. Bu those who want to weaken the party are issuing statements against me. These people don’t have any ideology nor they have any base,” the MP said.

Lalu Prasad’s popularity notwithstanding, the MP commands a following of his own in Seemanchal and Kosi. He had even won from Purnea Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate and fared better than JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav in Madhepura. His wife Ranjita Ranjan is a Congress MP form adjoining Supaul seat.