Independent MP from Purnia and Congress star campaigner Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav says Bihar’s young voters are done with the double-engine experiment and the mood on the ground is clearly shifting against the NDA .
In an interview with TOI online, he claimed that 11 years of BJP-JD(U) rule delivered neither industries nor smart cities nor jobs, and special status was reduced to a slogan. There is deep impatience for change, he said.
Yadav admitted that candidate selection and CWC-phase indecision did hurt the INDIA bloc’s momentum but asserted that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s back-to-back rallies are re-energising the campaign.
Q) You are campaigning across the state. What is your ground report?
I am not an astrologer. Bihar’s youth is fed up with the “double engine” government. There is anger over education, health and the broken exam system. One month of Rahul Gandhi’s SIR narrative had pushed us to 160–180 seats.
But the two-month gap after CWC + 15–20 days of ticket confusion slowed the momentum. People are angry and want to vote against the NDA.
Our leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, are campaigning continuously, and the atmosphere is gradually turning again. On one side, you talk of offering chhath arghya from a mineral water bottle, on the other side our leaders are actually jumping into the river. They are on the ground among people.
Q) But when Rahul Gandhi entered the river, you were not seen there; Kanhaiya Kumar was.
Should I abandon everything? I have been travelling across Bihar non-stop for 14 days. I am talking development, they are selling jumlas. No smart city, no industry, no talk on migration. 11 years of NDA made Bihar a toy. They keep crying “jungle-raj”.
We paid the price for that for 20 years. Now answer for your 11 years — your goonda-raj and inspector-raj.
Q) You are taking credit for the new trains and Purnia airport — but these are Centre–State decisions. On stage you had praised the PM as well.
The PM who cannot get one sugar mill started — what will he do in India? I had promised an airport in six months and I got it. Promised connectivity — I delivered Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat and 14 trains.
I only said “welcome, sir” on stage. Seemanchal loves — they hate Seemanchal.
If Lalan Singh talks so big — why didn’t he get Vande Bharat from Munger? Why no airports in Bhagalpur, Raxaul and Muzaffarpur?
Q) You have spoken about AIIMS and Metro for Purnia — when will work begin?
Whatever I say — I do. Within three years, I will deliver and make Seemanchal No.1.
Q) Your irritation over ticket distribution in Congress was visible. We saw what happened at Patna airport.
This happens everywhere. Giriraj said the BJP should not live in illusion. Manjhi said NDA will suffer. Kushwaha said all is not well. Today, Nitish Kumar didn’t attend PM’s road show — his “aukaat” was shown. Only Lalan Singh was sent.
Q) You are now on the Congress star campaigner list. Congress needs you today — so it has embraced you.
I am a simple man. Politics is dirty — you do what you don’t like. Everyone abuses me — I embrace everyone.
Q) Will you do a joint rally with Tejashwi Yadav?
We all have our work. Congress has sent me as a worker. We are doing mazdoori — working like animals. Why should others enter my courtyard? I do my job, Tejashwi his, Rahul Ji his.
Q) Your alliance has named Mukesh Sahni as Deputy CM face. Will Congress also get a Deputy CM?
Rahul Gandhi wants 90% people to get economic, social, political share. EBC has already been announced as Deputy CM. We will give SC and minority Deputy CMs too.
Q) You said tickets were being sold?
Yes. Except for my party, tickets are sold everywhere like cattle. We sacrificed two sitting seats. Only Congress can do this. You find out where 12 crore was the rate.
Criminals/mafia get tickets. If you plant babool, you cannot get dates. People worship caste-criminals — so leaders revolve around them.
Q) You said Congress has ‘nashak, satyanashak, sarvanashak and mahanashak’ leaders. Who are they?
Yes, I said it. What’s the problem? I have given all four names to my leader.
Q) You had demanded six seats but got none.
Media accused that seats were decided by me. Will Krishna Allavaru follow me or Rahul Gandhi?
Q) You were caught distributing money in Vaishali. EC has lodged a case.
I got an IT notice — am I not even worth two lakh? I take money from friends to help people. Where in MCC is it written “don’t feed the hungry”? I was not contesting Vaishali. It’s not my area. River erosion happened — I went to help.
Q) Will Pappu Yadav formally join Congress soon?
I am fully Rahul-Priyanka. The call is with Congress.
In an interview with TOI online, he claimed that 11 years of BJP-JD(U) rule delivered neither industries nor smart cities nor jobs, and special status was reduced to a slogan. There is deep impatience for change, he said.
Yadav admitted that candidate selection and CWC-phase indecision did hurt the INDIA bloc’s momentum but asserted that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s back-to-back rallies are re-energising the campaign.
Q) You are campaigning across the state. What is your ground report?
I am not an astrologer. Bihar’s youth is fed up with the “double engine” government. There is anger over education, health and the broken exam system. One month of Rahul Gandhi’s SIR narrative had pushed us to 160–180 seats.
But the two-month gap after CWC + 15–20 days of ticket confusion slowed the momentum. People are angry and want to vote against the NDA.
Our leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, are campaigning continuously, and the atmosphere is gradually turning again. On one side, you talk of offering chhath arghya from a mineral water bottle, on the other side our leaders are actually jumping into the river. They are on the ground among people.
Q) But when Rahul Gandhi entered the river, you were not seen there; Kanhaiya Kumar was.
Should I abandon everything? I have been travelling across Bihar non-stop for 14 days. I am talking development, they are selling jumlas. No smart city, no industry, no talk on migration. 11 years of NDA made Bihar a toy. They keep crying “jungle-raj”.
We paid the price for that for 20 years. Now answer for your 11 years — your goonda-raj and inspector-raj.
Q) You are taking credit for the new trains and Purnia airport — but these are Centre–State decisions. On stage you had praised the PM as well.
The PM who cannot get one sugar mill started — what will he do in India? I had promised an airport in six months and I got it. Promised connectivity — I delivered Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat and 14 trains.
I only said “welcome, sir” on stage. Seemanchal loves — they hate Seemanchal.
If Lalan Singh talks so big — why didn’t he get Vande Bharat from Munger? Why no airports in Bhagalpur, Raxaul and Muzaffarpur?
Q) You have spoken about AIIMS and Metro for Purnia — when will work begin?
Whatever I say — I do. Within three years, I will deliver and make Seemanchal No.1.
Q) Your irritation over ticket distribution in Congress was visible. We saw what happened at Patna airport.
This happens everywhere. Giriraj said the BJP should not live in illusion. Manjhi said NDA will suffer. Kushwaha said all is not well. Today, Nitish Kumar didn’t attend PM’s road show — his “aukaat” was shown. Only Lalan Singh was sent.
Q) You are now on the Congress star campaigner list. Congress needs you today — so it has embraced you.
I am a simple man. Politics is dirty — you do what you don’t like. Everyone abuses me — I embrace everyone.
Q) Will you do a joint rally with Tejashwi Yadav?
We all have our work. Congress has sent me as a worker. We are doing mazdoori — working like animals. Why should others enter my courtyard? I do my job, Tejashwi his, Rahul Ji his.
Q) Your alliance has named Mukesh Sahni as Deputy CM face. Will Congress also get a Deputy CM?
Rahul Gandhi wants 90% people to get economic, social, political share. EBC has already been announced as Deputy CM. We will give SC and minority Deputy CMs too.
Q) You said tickets were being sold?
Yes. Except for my party, tickets are sold everywhere like cattle. We sacrificed two sitting seats. Only Congress can do this. You find out where 12 crore was the rate.
Criminals/mafia get tickets. If you plant babool, you cannot get dates. People worship caste-criminals — so leaders revolve around them.
Q) You said Congress has ‘nashak, satyanashak, sarvanashak and mahanashak’ leaders. Who are they?
Yes, I said it. What’s the problem? I have given all four names to my leader.
Q) You had demanded six seats but got none.
Media accused that seats were decided by me. Will Krishna Allavaru follow me or Rahul Gandhi?
Q) You were caught distributing money in Vaishali. EC has lodged a case.
I got an IT notice — am I not even worth two lakh? I take money from friends to help people. Where in MCC is it written “don’t feed the hungry”? I was not contesting Vaishali. It’s not my area. River erosion happened — I went to help.
Q) Will Pappu Yadav formally join Congress soon?
I am fully Rahul-Priyanka. The call is with Congress.
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