Tejaswi is contesting his first election and believes Raghopur in Bihar's Vaishali district is the natural choice for him.
Tejaswi Yadav, former Bihar cricketer, is on a mission. The 26-year-old son and political heir of Lalu Yadav wants to win back Raghopur, for years a family citadel, but lost to the Janata Dal United or JDU in the 2010 assembly elections.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader's task would seem easier now that the JDU is an ally for this year's Bihar election, but the man who won the seat last time, Satish Kumar, has joined the BJP in a huff over the alliance's decision to filed Lalu's son instead of him.
Tejaswi is contesting his first election and believes Raghopur in Bihar's Vaishali district is the natural choice for him. For 15 years from 1995, his father Lalu and mother Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers, won Raghopur, dominated by Yadavs, seen as RJD supporters.
When Rabri Devi lost in the last election, the gigantic upset was attributed to the area's persistent backwardness despite having been a VIP constituency for years.
Tejaswi Yadav clearly has that on his mind as he attempts to re-build bridges with the voters. He has undertaken some back-breaking journeys on the campaign trail - by boat across the Ganga river because there is no bridge to connect this riverine area to the rest of the state and on some very bad roads begging to be repaired.
Lalu's youngest son has no qualms about getting off his SUV every 100 metres to meet people.
"Will you not give me your blessings?" he asks 80-year-old Sumati Devi. Hard of hearing, she does not understand. He then takes her hands gently and puts them on his head. "I will take your blessings anyway," says Tejaswi smiling, winning many smiles in return
Apart from counting on a favourable caste balance in the constituency, a key factor in Bihar politics, Tejaswi hopes his focus on youth and development will work. "My main agenda is to give the youth a platform," he says.
His chief opponent Satish Kumar of the BJP is amused. "He may be young, but I am not very old either," says the 45-year-old sitting lawmaker.
"Yes, he will get some advantage being Lalu's son. But Lalu's votebank here is not intact any more," he asserts.