Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma and Ashutosh Bharadwaj
With the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls just around the corner, the Modi-Nitish duo is going all guns blazing to enjoy another term in the state. However, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won’t make that journey easy. Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, Lalu’s sons and the two faces of the party, are also leaving no stone unturned in their election campaign.
Amidst all this, The Quint spent a day with Tej Pratap Yadav as he campaigned, to find out why he chose Hasanpur over Mahua as his constituency, and how does he plan to take the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (United) alliance down.
Right off the bat, Yadav said he would “vanquish Modi and Nitish” in Bihar since they have done nothing but “betrayed the people” and “scammed them.”
Here are a few excerpts from the conversation. Watch the video above for the full interview.
Why choose Hasanpur over Mahua?
I haven’t left Mahua. I have developed Mahua, gave them a medical college. Not just the people of Mahua but the people of Bihar are in touch with me. Looking at the dismal state of Hasanpur in the fields of employment, education and health made me choose this constituency. The people here sought me out and I am here for them. This is also Lalu’s bastion. Lalu (Prasad Yadav) loves this place and for many days, there hasn’t been any development here. So, I thought I will work and try to give employment to the youth here.
What do you have to say about your opponents raising a finger at your educational qualifications?
Firstly, Nitish Kumar should look at the state of education in his state. The teachers and professors who have been teaching here, for eight-plus years... has he made their positions permanent? He can point fingers at my education after that. What has Nitish Kumar given? Am I speaking English without even learning (the language)? Does Tejashwi speak in English without learning it?
“People can point fingers but I will keep doing my work. Haters are going to hate but I will keep moving forward.”Tej Pratap Yadav, RJD Leader
How did Nitish Kumar become the villain in your eyes?
Why did Nitish leave? Why did he take the thief’s way out? He was the one who begged my father to give him a chance, and the next time around, he took a U-turn. I will not join hands with someone who has betrayed the people.
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