It's 7 am. Union minister and Janata Dal (United) candidate from Madhepura, Sharad Yadav, sits relaxed at his make-shift party office-cum-residence sifting through the morning newspapers.
It’s 6 o’clock in the evening. Sharad is still as cool as cucumber. He is unruffled even as newspersons jostle for space to have a ‘byte’ of the JD (U) leader. He exudes the kind of confidence very few can match and is confident of victory in the Madhepura election, which went to poll on Wednesday.
“Laloo calls me mauni baba (one who keeps mum). Yes, unlike him (Laloo), I am a man of few words, but believe in firm action,” says Sharad.
Sharad is satisfied with the way election has been conducted here. “The polls were comparatively peaceful and fair. The booths rigged were those where the central para-military forces had not been deployed. We are making a list of all those booths—around 200—and will then make a representation to the election commission for re-poll,” he added.
In fact, Sharad was so satisfied with the way polls had been conducted that he had a word of praise for the EC observers. He singled out K J Alfonz and showered encomiums on him for his effort in this direction.
Sharad, however, alleged that Laloo’s brother-in-law Subhash Yadav was moving in a convoy with his commandos trying to intimidate voters, a fact which Laloo denied in front of Subhash when the Hindustan Times sought his comments.
{{/usCountry}}Sharad, however, alleged that Laloo’s brother-in-law Subhash Yadav was moving in a convoy with his commandos trying to intimidate voters, a fact which Laloo denied in front of Subhash when the Hindustan Times sought his comments.
{{/usCountry}}And, Sharad’s parting short: “I am winning comfortably in Madhepura.