RJD chief Lalu Prasad's younger son, Tejaswi Yadav, who till recently was interested in becoming a cricketer, is batting on an unfamiliar wicket. Clad in a white kurta-pyjama with a gamchha around the neck, floaters for footwear, and after a breakfast of two apples, he is traversing the narrow lanes and bylanes of Raghopur Assembly constituency - the family citadel that his father and mother represented in turns over 15 years -where he has been sent to begin his political innings.

A large part of the constituency is surrounded by the Ganga and Gandak rivers and can be reached only by boat - a telling commentary that contradicts chief minister Nitish Kumar's claim of having changed the face of Bihar. To be sure, Lalu-Rabri did nurture the constituency and parts of Raghopur are quite developed by the state's standards, but 10 years of Nitish rule have not changed the fortunes of the other parts.

In 2010, Rabri Devi lost from this Assembly seat, and one of the main reasons cited was her inaccessibility to her voters. It is a legacy Tejaswi wants to erase.

He takes extra effort to explain to the voters that if he wins he will not be an absentee neta. The young politician is also aware that his main rival, Satish Kumar, the sitting JDU MLA who switched over to the BJP just before the elections, is a local and will try to exploit the familiarity factor to the hilt. The way he is walking, it is evident that Tejaswi is on a new pitch and has to rely on local leaders to guide him.

"Mataji aap humko hi vote dijiyega (Mother, please do vote for me)," he says with folded hands at the door of the kuchcha house of Chinta Devi, a Mahadalit sexagenarian in Paschimi Raghopur village. She grimaces, then nods her head.

As the leader aspirant moves on in his door to door campaign, Chinta Devi asks one of his aides: "Who is this boy? Why should I vote for him?"

The aide, who identifies himself as Chandan Kumar Choudhary, explains: "He is Laluji's younger son. We have to ensure his victory this time."

There are shades of his father in Tejaswi; at 1.30pm with the sun at its cruellest, he wraps a towel on his head a la Lalu. He is visiting the tolas of all castes, with special focus on Dalits, Mahadalits and Rajputs. Perhaps he is more confident of the over-one-lakh-strong Yadav vote. And as he roams the Dalit and Mahadalit tola, he tells the people - like his father - that the BJP wants to abolish reservations. This would be snatching their rights, he reminds the people, and their children will not get jobs.

As Tejaswi enters the house of Jagdish Rai, the former panchayat chief's wife, Sita Devi, is quick to show Tejaswi old photographs featuring Rabri when she had visited the house in 2005. The affluent Yadav family offer him fried cashew nuts and raisin. Tejaswi picks up just two pieces of cashew. Later, at about 3pm, Tejaswi stops at another Yadav home where they offer him a glass of sattu with lemon and salt.

As he moves about, the demands of the people become clear: The women want a bridge, and the closure of a liquor factory in the village.

"Pul ka shilanyas ho gaya hai, jald hi pul ban jayega (The foundation stone has been laid and the bridge will be constructed soon)," Tejaswi responds, making it a point to add that it was his father who ensured a pontoon bridge and now he will give them a concrete bridge.

The bridge in contention is supposed to be a six-lane one connecting Biddupur in Vaishali district - of which Raghopur is a part - with Kachchi Dargah in Patna. Nitish recently laid the foundation stone.

Tejaswi also highlights his party's election symbol. He is wearing a small badge in the shape of a lantern. Showing it to Ram Balak Mahto (74), Mallah by caste, Tejaswi says: "Lalten mera nishan hai, mera naam sabse pehle hai, aur photo mein hum haath jode hue hai, wahi button dabaiyega (The lantern is my symbol; my name is on first on the voting machine and my photo shows me with folded hands. Press that button only).

It is evident that Chinta Devi is not alone; many people don't know Tejaswi.

"Dheere dheere log jaan jayenge (Slowly people will know me and my face as well)," Tejaswi says, asked about the unfamiliarity factor. "It will be a comfortable win for me as there is anti-incumbency against Satish."

Lalu has held three public meetings in Raghopur, two more are to follow.

After visiting almost all the houses of Paschimi Raghopur, Tejaswi moves to Yadav-dominated Purvi Raghopur panchayat where his rival Satish, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and BJP MP Ashwini Choubey are addressing the people. "Just go and check how many people have come to his (Satish's) rally, you will hardly find people over there," says Tejaswi, holding fort 500 metres away. Contrasting slogans echo from the two meetings: "Raghopur ka neta kaisa ho, Tejaswi Yadav jaisa ho" on one side, and paeans to Satish on the other.

Tejaswi tells the villagers: "I am a new candidate. I need your blessings. Forgive us if we have committed any mistake. Do not think that I will run away after winning the election. I promise you that I will build a house in Raghopur and will stay with you. Give me your vote and don't fall in the BJP trap. They may offer you money, meat and liquor for your vote."

At 5pm, Tejaswi has lunch at the house of Sone Lal Rai, another Yadav. After washing his hands and face, he is given a thermocol plate that promptly flies off as one of the nearly hundred supporters turns the table fan towards him. The supporters gather round their leader, so that he can eat in peace. On the menu are dum alu, lauki, fried brinjal, daal, salad, papad. He refuses a roti dipped in ghee, and opts for rice instead. The rice too comes with a dollop of ghee on top.

"You have come to Yadav's house; you have to eat ghee," declares the head of the family.

Tejaswi obeys, but cannot finish the curd.

Before hitting the campaign trail, he collects information regarding the caste factor from the local leaders. Through the day he walks nearly 15km, and while travelling he gathers more feedback from the local leaders.

His days end at 8pm, sometimes they stretch to 10pm. It takes him 45 minutes to reach Jetulu Ghat from where he takes a boat. The most difficult job is to get his SUV on the boat at night via two thin wooden planks. He reaches 10 Circular Road by midnight. He starts campaigning at 10am, and has a long shower to cool off after he is done.

♦ Raghopur votes on October 28