Comparisons are unfair, however they typically get blurred in Mokama Meeting constituency, situated simply 95 km from Patna, as two of essentially the most feared dons of Bihar’s badlands contest in opposition to one another representing opposing blocs — the Nationwide Democratic Alliance and Mahagatbandhan“It is a conflict of personalities slightly than events,” claimed Vinay Singh, 38, a businessman within the constituency.
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The heated rivalry got here to the fore on October 30, when Nineties-era strongman and Jan Suraaj Get together chief Dularchand Yadavan in depth aide of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, was shot lifeless in a language (wetland). It’s alleged that supporters of Janata Dal (United) candidate and bahubali Anant Singh, 58, popularly referred to as “Chhote Sarkar” (Small authorities), are behind the homicide. Nevertheless, Mr. Anant Singh himself has blamed his rival, Suraj Bhan Singh, one other strongman referred to as “Dada” (elder brother). His spouse and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Veena Devi is the Mahagatbandhan’s candidate for the seat.
Dominant pressure
On a pleasing early winter morning, Suraj Bhan Singh was in hurry to start the marketing campaign path and got here out of his room in a palatial home to strike a right away chat with this reporter in vest and pyjama. Mr. Singh wears scores of colourful amulets and divine beads wrapping his neck and proper hand wrist in iridescent threads, however, limping with bandaged proper ft due to an operated wound, first he began chatting with the gathered crowd who had been addressing him as “Dada” in affectionate tone. He requested one in all his escorting males for tea to supply and a kurta for him to put on without delay. Inside a minute he was in yellow kurta and white pyjama prepared to start his marketing campaign path to Kondi, a village panchayat. His spacious home behind a petroleum pump at Sakarwar Tola in Mokama city, has a big cover exterior within the campus the place his supporters had been sipping sizzling tea whereas rowed of purple plastic chairs had been organized neatly. corridor of the indoor lift-fitted home, few folks had been having breakfast. A number of luxurious autos had been parked exterior within the petrol pump premises and on the highway, few publicity vans of the candidate Veena Devi are transferring like centipedes on the highway whereas, a bunch of cattle are chewing fodder at one far finish of the soccer floor like home compound.
Additionally Learn | Bihar ex-MLA Anant Singh, 2 others arrested over Dular Chand Yadav dying case in Mokama
Anant Singh, 58, and his household have been the dominant pressure over Mokama constituency for final 35 years, since 1990, barring 2000-2005 when Suraj Bhan Singh had defeated Dilip Singh, elder brother of Anant Singh as an Unbiased candidate from the seat. Suraj Bhan Singh as soon as was the protégé of Dilip Singh, who was even a minister within the earlier RJD regime of Rabri Devi and had represented Mokama constituency twice in 1990 and 1995. His youngest brother Anant Singh, although, reclaimed the Mokama Meeting seat in 2005 and since has by no means been defeated, although, he hopped from one political get together to a different and as soon as even contested as an Unbiased candidate. After successful the 2020 Meeting election on RJD ticket, when Mr. Singh was disqualified from contesting ballot following conviction in an Arms Act case pertaining to the seizure of an AK-47 rifle, a hand grenade and ammunition from his ancestral home at Ladma village in Barh constituency, some 20 kms from Mokama, his spouse Neelam Devi received the by-poll from the seat in 2022. He, although, was acquitted within the case from Patna Excessive Courtroom in 2024 and again to ballot area on the ruling get together JD(U) ticket. The RJD fielded Veena Devi, spouse of one other strongman of the world Suraj Bhan Singh, apparently, to counter the JD(U) candidate Anant Singh’s hearth and muscle energy. Suraj Bhan Singh, 60, too was debarred from contesting election after being convicted in a homicide case in 2008.
Earlier, Suraj Bhan Singh had received the Lok Sabha election from Balia constituency of Begusarai district in 2004, and later, fielded his spouse Veena Devi from Munger Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 on Lok Janshakti Get together ticket which she additionally had received. In 2019, Mr. Singh’s youthful brother, Chandan Singh grew to become MP from Nawada LS constituency on Lok Janshakti Get together ticket. After dying of LJP founder chief Ram Vilas Paswan when the get together obtained bifurcated submit 2020 Meeting elections, Mr. Singh selected to be with Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Get together-led by Pashupati Kumar Paras, youthful brother of Mr. Paswan. In 2024, Mr. Singh, although, made one other political turnaround and joined Rashtriya Janata Dal which fielded his spouse Veena Devi as Mahagathbandhan’s candidate from Mokama Meeting constituency this 12 months.
When requested what are the possibilities of his spouse to win the ballot in opposition to four-time MLA and bahubali (strongmen), Suraj Bhan Singh, seated on the entrance of a luxurious car, stated humbly like a seasoned politician, “it is all within the hand of individuals of Mokama…however I don’t worry anybody…there is no such thing as a larger bahubali than folks of the constituency”.
However, does he know why RJD has fielded his spouse in opposition to Chhote Sarkar‘s candidature? “Sure, I do know it properly”, he quipped with an costly smile on his face. His spouse Veena Devi, the candidate, although, is nowhere to be seen. Anant Singh had already hit the marketing campaign path in a taal (wetland) space. Nevertheless, a publicity van carrying cut-out portrait of garlanded Anant Singh with folded palms amid footage of different NDA leaders together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was seen transferring on the highway with snail’s tempo interesting folks on mic to vote for him.
ADR knowledge on felony circumstances
“It is mainly a contest between Dada and Chhote Sarkar…let’s examine whose muscle energy proves heavier than different”, stated Manoranjan Singh in his mid forties, shopping for grocery exterior Mokama city police station and added in hushed tone, “This time energy in Mokama is about to move not from the poll however from the bullet. It is going to be a conflict of two fearful musclemen”. In keeping with a report launched by the Affiliation for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 32% candidates in Bihar Meeting elections this time have declared felony circumstances in opposition to them whereas, 27% face severe felony costs.
Located on the banks of the river Ganga, Mokama constituency in Patna district, can be recognized for its large tracts of taal and diara (riverine) areas the place farmers toil onerous, normally to develop lentil and different seasonal crops. Agriculture and cattle rearing are the mainstay of Mokama’s economic system. Earlier, it had enterprises like Bharat Wagon and Engineering Restricted, a producing unit of Bata footwear and an Indian Made Overseas Liquor (IMFL) manufacturing unit and crops, however they’re all defunct now.
Mokama has 2.89 lakh voters, dominated by the higher caste Bhumihar group (round 85,000 voters), to which each Mr. Anant Singh and Mr. Suraj Bhan Singh belongs, adopted by the Yadavs (about 40,000 voters). Voters of the Kurmi caste, labeled as Different Backward Class, and Dhanuk, Paswan, and Sahani castes (Extraordinarily Backward Courses) account for over 95,000 voters.
In the meantime, a autopsy report of Dularchand Yadav launched on Saturday stated he died of “cardio-pulmonary failure with blunt harm to the chest and head”. Earlier, his supporters had alleged that Mr. Anant Singh’s males had run their car forwards and backwards over him, after they discovered he had not died after being shot within the leg. No less than three FIRs had been stated to be lodged over the incident. Within the first FIR, Mr. Anant Singh, his nephews Ranveer and Karamveer Singh and two others are named. On Saturday, two cops had been put underneath suspension for alleged “negligence”.
Mokama goes to ballot on November 6 and the outcomes will probably be introduced on November 14.
Revealed – November 02, 2025 08:54 am IST