Hazaribagh: The fact that she is the wife of a three-time MLA has not deterred Molani Devi from selling vegetables and she is now helping her husband Loknath Mahto to take on sitting MP Yashwant Sinha’s foreign-educated son, Jayant and Congress’ Saurabh N Singh in this Lok Sabha seat.

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It might appear to be an unusual occupation for a neta’s wife, but Molani Devi says she practises her trade more out of tradition than need. Interestingly, the declared assets of the Mahto couple amount to more than Rs 2 crore.

“What is the shame in selling vegetables, this is our traditional job. I love carrying baskets on my head to the haat (rural market), which is hardly 1-km from my village, Ashok Tola. It fetches me in the range of Rs 200 to 300 daily,” Molani Devi said.

Her husband, who has been a BJP MLA from Barkagaon thrice — 1995, 2000 and 2005, left his old party this time to contest on an All Jharkhand Students’ Union ticket after the saffron outfit fielded Jayant from here.