For someone, who is known to be a ‘muscleman’, and slapped with several criminal cases, breaking down while addressing an election meeting may appear to be a bit unusual and that too when the reason is a ‘huge turn- out’.

Samajwadi Party  candidate from Gonda Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh Vindo Singh alias Pandit Singh, who is also a senior minister in the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet, became so ‘overwhelmed’ by the ‘huge crowd’  that he broke down at his election meeting on Sunday.

“I am indeed an MLA from here (Gonda) and so people  do have affection for me but I had not expected that such a large crowd would turn up to listen to me,” Singh said as he broke down on the stage and left it.

His supporters, who had crowded the stage shouted pro-Pandit slogans as the minister took out his handkerchief and wiped off his tears. Pandit's supporters said the tears showed how ‘emotional’ their leader was.

The minister also claimed later he had never imagined that the people had so much affection for him.

It is another matter that the same Pandit Singh, had last year, while being a minister kidnapped the chief medical officer (CMO) of Gonda district after the latter had refused to appoint the candidates he recommended for posts of doctor.

Singh had then barged into the CMO’s house with his goons, bundled him forcibly into his vehicle and tried to force him to issue the appointment letters.

The terrified official managed to inform the senior district officials and had been escorted to Lucknow under the police protection.

He was later sacked following a widespread condemnation of the act by the opposition parties and the health officials but made a come back a few months later.

Now, he’s SP nominee from Gonda seat in Lok Sabha. Given the track record of the minister, he will have a hard time in convincing many if they were ‘crocodile tears’ or genuine.