'Mujh Mein Kya Kami Thi?' Hours After Filing Poll Papers as Independent, Pappu Yadav Cries Bitterly on Stage

Former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who filed an independent nomination from Bihar’s Purnea seat despite his affiliation with the Congress, got emotional on stage and asked “why was he being denied a ticket from the seat repeatedly.

Crying inconsolably on stage, Yadav, took a dig at Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav adding that RLD fielded their candidate in the constituency, despite his expressed desire to represent Purnea. The Congress leader also questioned what qualities or attributes he lacked that he was asked to leave Purnea and represent another seat.

‘After all, what was lacking in me? Why was I being told again and again to go to Madhepura or Supaul? Whereas even before the merger of my party with Congress, I had met Lalu Yadav and said that I could not leave Purnea and go anywhere,” Yadav, said in tears.

Pappu Yadav also expressed his displeasure with RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejaswi Yadav accompanying, Bhima Bharti, his opponent in the seat while filing nominations against him.

“You never accompanied anyone for the nomination process, but this time you not only supported but accompanied the candidate filing nomination against me. What have I done to deserve this? I have been working here in Purnea for the past 1 year, these people are my family,” said Yadav.

Lok Sabha Polls: Dramatic Fight in Bihar’s Purnea

Pappu Yadav, who recently joined the Congress, on Wednesday stuck to his stand of contesting from Bihar’s Purnea Lok Sabha seat despite ally RJD’s Bima Bharti filing her nomination papers.

In a post on X, he said, “Tomorrow, everybody please come to give your blessings during the filing of nomination. Pappu Yadav will be in the fray for Purnea’s dignity. Some people are so angry with Purnea that they will do anything to insult her. My mother Purnea will respond by making them lose their deposits on April 26 (the date of voting).”

Meanwhile, Bharti, who joined the RJD less than a month ago, was accompanied by Tejashwi Yadav, former Bihar deputy chief minister and heir apparent of Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad, while filing her nomination papers.

Congress Backs Pappu Yadav’s RLD Opponent

Meanwhile, Pappu Yadav’s party openly stated that it will support RLD’s Bhima Bharti as INDIA’s Purnea candidate.

Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said the seat-sharing deal has been finalised. “If any Congress leader files nomination outside of their nine seats, the party will not support the candidate.”

Bihar Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore said Pappu Yadav is not a Congress nominee. “The party is united in support of Bima Bharti in Purnea.”

In the final INDIA seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar, the Purnea seat was allocated to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which is contesting 26 of Bihar’s 40 seats and the Congress nine.