Sitting Purnia MP misses 'Pappu' this election - Times of India

Purnia: There is only one Pappu in the fray for Purnia parliamentary seat. And, that is sitting BJP MP Uday Singh alias Pappu Singh, who is missing this time Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav who is contesting as RJD candidate from Madhepura. Pappu had defeated Uday thrice before the BJP MP avenged his loss in 2004 and defeating his mother Shanti Priya in 2009.

Uday, the grandson of Mol Babu and son of former ICS TP Singh and younger brother of bureaucrat-turned-politician NK Singh, had first contested the Lok Sabha election in Purnia in place of his mother Madhuri Singh who had represented the constituency twice as Congress candidate. Linked to another prominent political family of former Kerala governor Nikhil Kumar, Uday is facing BJP rebel MLA Santosh Kumar Kushwaha, who switched over to JD (U) last month. Congress has fielded a former MLA and another landlord Amarnath Tiwari against him.

In his affidavit, Uday has described himself as an industrialist and social worker and his wife Ruby as an entrepreneur. Contrary to his ICS father, he is only 12th pass from DPS Delhi in 1970. He has fancy for modern SUVs and 9 number series for all his vehicles as he was born on the 9th of November in 1952 and also got married on October 9, 1992. He had won by 1.87 lakh votes in 2009.

Uday had contested three Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully as Congress nominee, but luck smiled on him in 2004 when he contested on a BJP ticket. He was the first BJP leader in the state who had raised the banner of revolt against Nitish Kumar in 2012 by organizing a 'Vedna Rally' alleging corruption and bad governance. Countering the allegation that he did not call on people frequently in the last 10 years, he says, "meri har sans Purnia ke liye samarpit hai (my every breath is dedicated to Purnia)". Besides attending parliament session and parliamentary committees meetings in Delhi and tours of the parliamentary committees, "I have business and family also to look after. I visit the constituency every month," he says. Touching his iPad, Uday tells caste is not a factor in Purnia. He said he was getting tremendous response for Narendra Modi.

Dismissing the claim of CM Nitish Kumar of improving conditions of mahadalits, Uday remarks, "The fact is mahadalits are starved." He is also confident of getting tribal votes which account for 5.72% of the electorate in Purnia and claimed the support of 50% Yadavs as there is no RJD candidate and Congress is not even within the striking zone.