Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Pappu Yadav set to merge his Jan Adhikar Party with Congress

Bihar's influential leader Pappu Yadav is set to merge his Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) with the Congress party to contest the Purnea Lok Sabha seat under the INDIA alliance. The decision follows discussions with RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashawi Yadav.

Bihar’s strongman and veteran Yadav leader Pappu Yadav will be merging his political outfit, Jan Adhikar Party (JAP), into the Congress party on Wednesday evening in Delhi to contest from Purnea Lok Sabha seat as part of the INDIA alliance.

Prior to the scheduled merging of his party, Pappu Yadav held meetings with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashawi Yadav. It is believed that his entry into the grand old party got a green signal only after Lalu-Tejashawi’s nod. 

The five-time Member of Parliament is expected to take on NDA’s nominee from Purnea, a close associate of Yadav said. From the NDA side, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United (JDU) will be in the fray.

In the past too, Yadav had represented the constituency in the Lower House of Parliament.

Since the last two elections, JDU’s Santosh Kushwaha has been the leader in Parliament. He had defeated his rival from Congress, Uday Pratap Singh alias Pappu Singh with over 2.6 lakh votes.

Talking to reporters in Patna, Pappu Yadav said: “Lalu Yadav is my guardian and Tejashawi is my brother. We both will fight together to defeat the BJP.”

On Purnea, he said: “I can’t think beyond Purnea. I am very much clear in my mind and I am going to contest from this seat only. Purnea is my lifeline and I cannot deviate from it.”

The constituency has 60 per cent Hindu voters and about 40 per cent Muslim voters. Among Hindus, about five lakh are scheduled castes and tribes and extremely backward castes, 1.5 lakh Yadavs, 1.25 lakh Brahmins and the same number of Rajput voters.

Pappu Yadav represented Purnea in 1996 on Samajwadi Party ticket and as an independent in 1999. After Madhuri Singh in 1984, Congress has never won this seat.