Pappu Yadav walked free in 2013 after spending 17 years behind bars. Since then, he has tried to project himself as a benevolent Robin Hood. Whether due to fear of his strongman image in the Seemanchal region or his Robin Hood-like popularity, he has won the Lok Sabha elections six times from two different seats, contesting four of those as an independent candidate.
He was once considered close to Lalu Yadav, but as his political base grew stronger, the relationship between the two soured. Shortly before the 2024 elections, Yadav made national headlines when he merged his party with the Congress but was denied a ticket, prompting him to contest as an independent — and win.
Ahead of the second phase of the Bihar assembly elections on November 11, Outlook’s Asghar Khan speaks to the Purnia MP.
Camera: Sandipan Chatterjee
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