M A I N   N E W S

Pappu fail ho gaya
Patna HC rules out RJD MP’s poll chances
Sanjay Singh
Tribune News Service

Patna, April 2
After Sanjay Dutt, it was the turn of Pappu Yadav , the controversial RJD MP from Bihar’s Madhepura constituency, to get a jolt.

Convicted and sentenced for life term imprisonment on the charge of conspiring the murder of Ajit Sarkar, the then CPM MLA from Purnea, Pappu’s attempts to seek re-election in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls came to a naught today when the Patna High Court refused to suspend his conviction and enable him enter the electoral fray.

The High Court verdict has also given a set back to Lalu Prasad led RJD which had still not decided on its candidate for the Madhepura Lok Sabha seat. Apparently, the party was awaiting the Court’s verdict to take a decision on this matter.

Barely a week ago, the Patna High Court had turned down a similar plea by the incarcerated RJD MP from Siwan, Mohd. Shahabuddin who has been convicted and sentenced for life term imprisonment by the Trial Court in a case pertaining to the abduction cum murder of a CPI-ML worker in Siwan.

Following the Court’s refusal to suspend Shahabuddin’s conviction, his party decided to put his wife Hina Shahab in the fray for the Siwan Lok Sabha seat that was being represented by her husband for the last four consecutive terms. But the case of Pappu Yadav and his Madhepura constituency is different. Pappu’s wife Ranjita Ranjan is also a sitting MP of Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP and she is seeking re-election from her constituency- Supaul again as the LJP nominee.

Now the RJD is in search of another formidable candidate for the Madhepura seat from where JD(U) national President and NDA convenor Sharad Yadav is in the fray. The polling for this constituency is slated in the third phase- April 30.