Purnia, Apr 23 (Reporter) With heavyweight politician and former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav throwing his hat into the electoral battle as an independent candidate, the Purnia Lok Sabha seat is witnessing a tough triangular contest where RJD candidate from Grand Alliance ( GA) Bima Bharti at one end and the outgoing JDU MP Santosh Kushwaha is on the other as NDA candidate. Considered the capital of the Seemanchal region of Bihar, Purnia has emerged as a crucial seat where electioneering was at its peak and the contenders were engaged in a hectic campaign. The sweltering summer heat has failed to dampen their spirit and they were trying to woo the voters for whom the core issues were development, unemployment, migration, safe drinking water, flood menace, law and order and farmers plight. The anti-incumbency was against the two-time incumbent MP from Purnia Santosh Kumar Kushwaha. But he was visibly confident of his victory on the Modi factor. He is also banking on the division of votes between RJD and Pappu Yadav as both cater to the same set of voters. People were annoyed as Kushwaha was mostly inaccessible and did not give enough time in the constituency. The sitting MP Santosh Kushwaha (JDU) is seeking his third term on the planks of developments and Modi Ki Guarantee. Kushwaha had defeated BJP candidate Uday Singh from here in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when JDU had contested the election in alliance with RJD. Kushwaha who became MLA on the BJP ticket for the first time in 2010 had joined JDU before the 2014 Loksabha elections. Later in 2019 BJP and JDU again joined their hands and contested the 2019 Loksabha election. Purnia's seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was with JDU as per the seat adjustment. To kick off his campaign, Kushwaha visited the site where CPI(M) MLA Ajit Sarkar was killed. Pappu Yadav was accused of the murder of Ajit Sarkar but was acquitted later. Kushwaha said the people of Purnia and the country know who had murdered Ajit Sarkar and they will not forget the murder incident. MLA Ajit Sarkar along with two others were gunned down in Purnia city. The JDU candidate pointed out that their opponent’s history of extortion from doctors and businessmen has not gone unnoticed by the public. Spread over Kasba, Banmankhi (SC), Rupauli, Dhamdaha, Purnia, and Korha (SC) Assembly segments, the Purnia seat witnessed some developments include developed highways, better rail connectivity, welfare schemes and others which may go in favour of Kushwaha, the outgoing MP. The Congress rebel, Pappu Yadav, anticipating a ticket recently had merged his Jan Adhikar Party ( JAP) with Congress. Following the denial of the ticket from Purnia which went into the RJD fold under seat adjustment in the grand alliance, Yadav entered into the battle as an Independent candidate. Pappu had represented the Purnia seat three times and the Madhepura Loksabha seat twice. Pappu Yadav was expelled from RJD in 2009, following his conviction in a murder case. Yadav was behind the bars between 2008 and 2009. Once a muscleman, Yadav has projected himself as the “son of the soil”, and said that Purnea was everything to him. He was also trying to evoke the voter's sympathy by highlighting the alleged state government of vendetta. Bima Bharti sitting MLA from Rupali assembly segment of Purnia who is in the fray as RJD candidate had recently resigned from JDU. Beginning her Political career in 2000 Bharti, wife of Awadhesh Mandal, a criminal facing over 100 cases, had won the Assembly Elections as an independent candidate. Later she joined JDU and was even minister in the state government. Following the arrest of her husband and son in connection with an Arms Act case, Bharti fell out of favour with the JD(U) leadership and in February this year switched her side and joined RJD. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while addressing a rally in Bhagalpur appealed to the people to vote for Bhima Bharti in Purnia whereas RJD leader Tejasvi Prasad Yadav visibly upset with Pappu Yadav contesting the election as a rebel candidate appealed to the voters either to vote in favour of India Alliance and elect either Bima Bharati or the NDA candidate. Pappu Yadav is likely to spoil the game of the RJD candidate as they are contesting for the same vote base, especially if the MY factor is considered. The Purnia seat was with BJP in 2004 and in 2009. However, for the last 10 consecutive years, Santosh Kushwaha of JDU has been elected from here. Several heavyweight national leaders including freedom fighter Funny Gopal Sengupta, freedom fighter and constituent assembly member Mohammad Tahir former Union Minister of state for Home Mohammad Taslimuddin and others had successfully contested the seat. Purnia's seat has become a matter of prestige for both the grand alliance and NDA where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, JDU national President and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar campaigned in favour of Santosh Kumar Kushwaha. Besides scores of development issues the caste and religion factors were gradually emerging as an important factor in Purnia going to polling on April 26 in the second phase of the seven-phased parliamentary elections...////...