"Who Gave Him Money?": Pappu Yadav's Big Charge Against Prashant Kishor

In a caustic attack on poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan AKA Pappu Yadav alleged that the Jan Suraaj Party leader looted Bihar and has an understanding with BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah. He was speaking to senior journalists Ankit Tyagi and Sucherita Kukreti at NDTV's Bihar Power Play conclave in Patna.

"A man who had to run from everywhere, he came to Bihar and called Nitish Kumar his foster father and said that he would stay here. Then he fled to (Jagan Mohan) Reddy, then Mamata (Banerjee)," he said, taking a swipe at Kishor. "Prashant ji said Amit Shah is threatening my candidates. This is not intimidation; this is an understanding. This is friendship," he said.

Questioning Kishor's contention that he earned through consultancy, Yadav claimed that the company that gave him money did not mention this in its balance sheet. "Then who gave him money?"

Yadav claimed that Kishor raised around Rs 650 crore in this election and accused him of looting Bihar. "I hate people who take money from the common man." He also referred to Kishor as an "impersonator". "Sometimes you say you won't become Chief Minister, sometimes you say you won't become MLA, sometimes you say you would bring change."

Earlier, Yadav created a flutter when he said Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is the face of the upcoming Bihar election. This was seen as a jab at Tejashwi Yadav, who has been named the Chief Minister candidate of the Opposition's Mahagathbandhan alliance.

Pappu Yadav was miffed when he was called out for repeatedly trying to steer the conversation towards Rahul Gandhi and away from Tejashwi Yadav. "Why are you going on asking me about Tejashwi Yadav?"

Rahul Gandhi, he said, was repeatedly talking about Bihar-centric issues. "Tejashwi Yadav is the Mahagathbandhan's Chief Minister face, but the poll plank is Rahul Gandhi's," he said. Bihar's politics, he said, should no longer be seen through the prism of caste. "How long will you keep doing this? Congress does not do this kind of politics."

The interview took a musical turn when Pappu Yadav obliged by singing a few classics, including the 'Chandan sa badan' and some Bhojpuri songs.