Patna, April 20 (IANS) Slain Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator Ajit Sarkar's widow Madhavi Sarkar, who is contesting the Lok Sabh polls from Bihar's Purnia constituency, has asked the Election Commission to provide her adequate security against her husband's murderer and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Pappu Yadav.
Madhavi, who is contesting as a Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) candidate, has written to the poll panel that she feels threatened by Pappu Yadav.
'I have told the election commission that a free Pappu Yadav is a serious threat to my life. Anything can happen to me. Even the local police are helpless,' Madhavi told IANS on phone.
Madhavi's husband, who was embroiled in a feud with Pappu Yadav over issues relating to farm labourers, was shot dead along with his driver Harendra Sharma and party worker Ashfaqur Rehman in Purnea, about 350 km from here, on June 14, 1998.
Pappu Yadav, the sitting MP from Madhepura, was held guilty of Ajit Sarkar's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court last year. However, the Patna High Court granted him bail two months ago.
He is now busy campaigning in the constituency for his mother Shanti Priya Devi, who is contesting as an independent candidate with support of the Congress.
'Pappu Yadav's entry into the election campaign is posing a serious threat to peace in Purnia. Free, fair and peaceful polling is not possible till he is put behind bars,' said Madhavi.
Madhavi's party has launched the election campaign with the slogan 'jail mein beemar aur bahar pahalwan' (weakling inside jail but strongman outside).
Earlier this month, the Patna High Court rejected Pappu Yadav's plea to suspend his conviction in the murder case so that he could contest the Lok Sabha election. After he was barred from contesting, he revolted against the Lalu Prasad-Ram Vilas Paswan alliance and said he would campaign for the Congress.
His wife Ranjita Ranjan, a Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP, has also defected to the Congress to contest from Supaul constituency.
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