When I told friends I wanted to meet Badayun BSP candidate, DP Yadav, they almost sounded disappointed - why him? He's a nobody, he's just a goonda and why are you giving him a platform?

All valid viewpoints, I think, but it was like I couldn't help myself. I have reported on DP Yadav for a considerable portion of my career, as a trainee in 1999 when his son Vikas was merely abetting Jessica Lal's murderer Manu Sharma. And then just 3 years later, when he bumped off his sister Bharti's boyfriend.

DP Yadav has been infamous in Delhi, intimidating reporters, threatening the victim's mother and generally playing the goonda-politician. I wanted to see how he was perceived in his area. After all, despite so many cases against him, he was a sitting MLA from the area.

First thing you notice when you visit DP, is the school at the entry road to his farmhouse. I wondered what example he set for students at the Vidyapeeth. Pity, there weren't any students there for me to find out. But obviously he was working at the philanthropist image. Charity apparently begins at home since Mr Yadav had built a helipad inside his home complex in Dhaneri.

His home had pictures just of himself and son, Vikas. Younger son Vipul took on the role of a campaign manager.
 
"The murder case is just political, all false." So many years had gone by, Vikas had been convicted but DP Yadav's refrain wasn't changing. The thing is that the people of Badaun seemed to believe it. Many thought that it was the brother's duty to protect the sister's or more appropriately, the family honour. Even his opponents never raised the issue. DP Yadav's USP over here - he has 2 phones and says he is accessible unlike other candidates. Will the junta buy it?