Dharti Pakad’ Nagarmal Bajoria Dies at 96, Leaves Behind a Unique Electoral Legacy
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Patna, September 4: Nagarmal Bajoria, popularly known as “Dharti Pakad” for his extraordinary record of contesting elections, died in Patna on Thursday. He was 96.
His repeated appearances on the ballot, despite rarely winning, earned him the affectionate nickname “Dharti Pakad” a reference to his determination to remain rooted in the electoral battlefield.
Bajoria, however, maintained that his purpose was not merely to win elections. He believed that democracy gave every ordinary citizen the right to challenge even the most powerful political leaders.
Interestingly, he had claimed that he did win a municipal election in Bhagalpur when he was around 30, but subsequently resigned from the councillor's post.
In his later years, Bajoria gradually moved away from electoral politics and devoted himself to social service, including helping poor families, supporting children's education and assisting with marriages of daughters from economically weaker families.
Bajoria, a well-known social worker from Bhagalpur, reportedly contested more than 280 elections during his long political journey, ranging from panchayat and municipal elections to Assembly, Lok Sabha, Legislative Council and even presidential elections.His most remarkable electoral challenge came in 1969, when he filed his nomination against then presidential candidate V. V. Giri. He also contested against political giants including Indira Gandhi from Rae Bareli and Rajiv Gandhi from Amethi. His name is also associated with electoral contests involving leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L. K. Advani.
His repeated appearances on the ballot, despite rarely winning, earned him the affectionate nickname “Dharti Pakad” a reference to his determination to remain rooted in the electoral battlefield.
Interestingly, he had claimed that he did win a municipal election in Bhagalpur when he was around 30, but subsequently resigned from the councillor's post.
In his later years, Bajoria gradually moved away from electoral politics and devoted himself to social service, including helping poor families, supporting children's education and assisting with marriages of daughters from economically weaker families.