Why This JD-U Bahubali Opposes The JD-U Candidate

JD-U MLA Anant Singh, a powerful 'Bahubali', campaigns for an Opposition candidate in the legislative council polls.

Bihar is witnessing something strange in politics, with Janata Dal-United MLA Anant Singh, a well-known Bahubali (strongman), joining Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Singh's nomination filing procession, along with 50,000 rasgullas to distribute among supporters.

It is his way of celebrating victory much ahead of elections for the coming Patna Graduate constituency legislative council polls at the end of October.

Anant Singh was seen in an open jeep along with Anuj Singh during a road show ahead of the latter filing his nomination papers on October 1.

Hundreds of Anant Singh's supporters participated in this show of strength.

Anant Singh's supporters also shouted slogans in favour of JD-U President Nitish Kumar and his son Nishant Kumar, who is Bihar's health minister, during the road show.

It was a clear message from Anant Singh that he is loyal to Nitish and his son Nishant, who matter more than anyone in the party.

Defiance And Claims of Loyalty

JSP Founder Prashant Kishor, who is his party's lone MLA in the Bihar assembly, was missing during the road show.

According to JD-U leaders close to Anant Singh, all the rasgullas, were distributed during the road show.

They recalled that last year Anant Singh had prepared more than two lakh sweets and distributed them days ahead of the actual voting and declared his victory.

Anant Singh contested and won last November's Bihar assembly polls from Mokama.

Anant Singh, well known for his colourful lifestyle, claimed publicly during the road show that he was confident of Anuj Singh's victory.

Internal Party Conflict

The JD-U's candidate for these polls is Neeraj Kumar.

Anant Singh declared last week that he would support Anuj Singh and oppose Neeraj Kumar.

In mid-September Anant Singh declared that he would ensure Neeraj Kumar's defeat in the legislative council polls because the latter had worked against him in previous elections.

Nitish Kumar's Image At Stake

Anant Singh's claim that he has been supporting and helping Nitish Kumar for a long time has come as an embarrassment to the latter's image of 'sushashan babu' (man of good governance).

'When Nitish Kumar was nothing, much before he became chief minister, I was with him. I sold my cows and buffaloes to weighed him with silver coins,' Anant Singh recalled recently.

During the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, a year ahead of Nitish Kumar becoming chief minister, Anant Singh had him weighed with silver coins in Mokama.

Both Anant Singh and Neeraj Kumar belong to the powerful landed Bhumihar upper caste in Mokama.

Anant Singh was once considered a terror in Mokama and Barh regions while Neeraj Mumar entered politics with a leftist background.

A few years ago Anant was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in a case related to the recovery of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 assault rifle, from his house in 2019, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Ignoring this, he was given a ticket by the JD-U to contest last year's assembly elections.

For years Neeraj Kumar's has been a lone voice against Anant Singh on the ground that he is against criminals in politics.

In the 2025 Bihar assembly polls when the JD-U decided to put up Anant Singh as its candidate from Mokama, Neeraj opposed it.

"I fail to understand how he got the party ticket when he was not even a member of the party," Neeraj said then.

Anant Singh was made the JD-U candidate after he was acquitted by the Patna high court in one of the several criminal cases registered against him.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff