Patna: Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Sunday kicked off his election campaign from Palasi block in Araria district to campaign in support of RJD in the bypolls.

Addressing the gathering on the government school ground, Tejashwi appealed the people of Seemanchal region to vote in favour of the RJD candidate if they wanted to see development. The RJD has fielded Sarfaraz Alam, son of the late former MP Mohammad Taslimuddin, whose death necessitated the bypoll.

In Araria, the BJP has selected Pradeep Singh, who comes from the EBC (Extremely Backward Classes), as he, apart from being a well-known face in the area, belongs to a community that has about 4 lakh votes.

Of the roughly 17 lakh voters in the Araria seat, around 6 lakh voters are from the minority community and more than 1.5 lakh voters are Yadavs. The non-Yadav OBC (Other Backward Classes) voters have around 1.5 lakh votes while EBCs constitute around 25 to 30 per cent of the voters.

Addressing the people of Araria, Tejashwi tried to make his speech emotional as well as attacking. Emotional in the sense of calling Taslimuddin as the Gandhi of Seemanchal and attacking in the sense of calling Nitish a coward.

"The people of Seemanchal region want to see the development and complete the work which has been stopped after the death of Taslimuddin saheb. He was the Gandhi of Seemanchal and his son Sarfaraz will now bring development," Tejashwi said.

The former deputy chief minister addressed three rallies in Araria - first in Palasi, the second in Sikti and the third in Kursakantha. Senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui was also present at all the rallies with Tejashwi.

Tejashwi attacked Nitish calling him paltu chacha (turncoat uncle) alleging that he sold his soul for the sake of remaining on the post of the chief minister.

" Aisa koi saga nahi jisko Nitishji ne thaga nahi (Nitishji has ditched all people who were close to him). My father made him chief minister despite RJD having the maximum MLAs, my father Laluji trusted him even though Nitish ji was responsible for sending my father to jail. But he insulted the people's mandate," Tejashwi alleged.