‘Dhartipakad’ from Bihar who contested 281 elections and won none dies at 96

BHAGALPUR: Maverick social worker and indefatigable election contestant Nagarmal Bajoria, popularly known as Dhartipakad, died at the age of 96 in Bhagalpur on Thursday. A resident of Sujaganj main market, he will be cremated at Barari Ghat on Friday.Bajoria contested 281 elections but never won one. His famous line was: “I do not lose elections, but the people always do.”His electoral journey took him from municipal corporation polls to parliamentary elections in Patna and Delhi. He contested against political stalwarts, including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani.His first electoral contest was against then presidential candidate V V Giri in 1969. He later contested 18 times for the posts of President and Vice-President of India, with his last, 281st, election coming in 2019.Born in Lahore in undivided India, Bajoria migrated to Bhagalpur in the 1930s and established a business in the city’s main market. He also devoted himself to social work, arranging mass marriages for poor girls to promote simple, dowry-less weddings and helping install tube-wells at places where drinking water was needed.For Bajoria, elections were less about becoming an MP or MLA and more about drawing attention to social and national issues and encouraging voters to choose the best candidate.His grandson Gourav Bajoria said his grandfather was a committed social worker with immense love for the country. “Though electoral victory eluded him, his constant participation in the democratic process, courage to challenge the system and never-say-die attitude will live long in the memories of the people of Bhagalpur,” he said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Patna | Silver Rate in Patna | Bank Holidays in Patna | Public Holidays in Patna | Patna AQI | Weather in Patna | Petrol Price in Patna | Diesel Price in Patna | CNG Price in Patna | LPG Price in PatnaStay updated with the latest Patna news. Download the TOI App.