RAJNANDGAON (CHHATTISGARH): As a child, he used to assist his father in selling tea and later became an astute politician. Sounding familiar? Here is one Deepak Yadav, 30, who used to sell tea, worked as a labourer earning Rs 175 a day, won election as a municipal corporator a couple of years ago, and is now trying to force a tri-angular contest in Rajnandgaon—the constituency of Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, who also began his political career as a local body elected representative.All eyes were on Rajnandgaon when Chhattisgarh’s regional party (Chhattisgarh Janata Congress) founder and former chief minister Ajit Jogi initially announced to take on chief minister Raman Singh but he ejected himself out of Rajnandgaon but sprang a surprise by fielding Deepak Yadav, who along with this father still runs a tea shop on a hand cart in Rajnandgaon. His mother used to work as domestic help while he continued to struggle in politics.Chhattisgarh Janata Congress candidate Deepak Yadav is contesting against political heavyweights—chief minister Raman Singh and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla in Rajnandgaon that goes to poll in the first phase on November 12.I nursed political ambitious since 2005 as I had an uncle Jaggannath Yadav,who was a Janata Dal legislator from Khujji constituency during undivided Madhya Pradesh. Later, my family was totally influenced with Congress.“I joined Congress at the age of 20 as ward president of Rahul Gandhi’s ambitious programme “Aam Aadmi ka sipahi” which couldn’t go on for long though. I climbed another ladder becoming the District Mazdoor Sangh member and as the family faced extreme financial crunch, I worked simultaneously as contract labourer at a school,” Yadav told TOI during the campaign. He had to quit studies after Class XII in 2007 and though he tried to resume studies by joining college later on in 2011, the financial crunch chased him down after first year of BA.“ I also helped my father in selling tea and even today I look after his shop when he’s not well. What I ensured was to provide education to my siblings despite all odds in family by working as labourer in making furniture and earned Rs 175 per day.“Being active in politics, I won and lost some insignificant contests until I contested as ward corporator from Basantpur ward in 2014 and continued in in active politics in Rajnandgaon,” he added.Tables turned when he joined Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress in 2016 and being totally dedicated to the party, he emerged as an active leader from Rajnandgaon. While I wasn’t expecting I could be chosen as a candidate from the party to contest against chief minister, I got a call from Jogi ji’s office on the evening of October 25, a day before the last day of filing nomination, asking me to visit him as soon as possible, Yadav said.“I had not even imagined that I could be given ticket for fighting as my financial condition isn’t in support that I could even campaign for myself. And because Ajit Jogi had earlier declared himself as a candidate to fight against CM, none of the members here was ambitious,” he said, adding that he reached Raipur at 9pm as there were a series of meetings and discussion going on but I still wasn’t expecting I would be the chosen one.It was around 4am when Yadav met Ajit Jogi at his residence in Raipur and he was told to contest from Rajnandgaon and without declaring anything there, he was asked to leave. Within minutes, Amit Jogi told me “chalo ab taiyari karo”. I had no idea how to go about it as it was last day of nomination and there was a lot of work to do. My mother, however, told me, I had nothing to lose if I decide to fight and I filed the nomination on the last day without worrying about “how”.“When chief minister can start his political career as ward corporator and become CM, why can’t I?" he asks.“I had been mainly active in city politics and hardly interacted with people in villages. Today, when I meet people in villagers, they say they want a change and say ‘beta Tehi mehnat kare, te hi jeet ke aabe,” (Son, you work hard and you would definitely win) Yadav says adding that he won’t quit.

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