Voters anticipate a fierce electoral contest between the BJP and RJD in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency. The incumbent MP since 2014 Ram Kripal Yadav, son of a milkman and formerly a trusted aide of RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, exudes confidence in decisively defeating his arch-rival Misa Bharti, who is contesting the general polls on ‘lantern’ electoral symbol. The sitting MP reaffirms his belief that the saffron party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will secure a sweeping mandate, potentially surpassing 400 seats out of the 545 constituencies across India. Throughout his four-decade-long political journey, Ram Kripal Yadav asserts that he maintains regular interactions with his party workers, a practice he contrasts with the purported aloofness of Misa Bharti, the eldest child of RJD supremo. He emphasises his role as a ‘sevak’ [servant] while characterising his opponent as a ‘shaashak’ [ruler], who resides in opulence. Ram Kripal Yadav also gestures towards his ancestral house, nestled in a quaint lane of Patna’s Goriya Toli, highlighting its significance and declaring his ownership of properties valued at …