Anant Singh Politics in Bihar Election: After the murder of 1980s and 1990s strongman Dularchand Yadav in Mokama on the afternoon of October 30, Mokama assembly constituency has once again come into the limelight at the national level. Dularchand was close to both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav, the two leaders of Bihar politics. An FIR has been registered against Anant Kumar Singh in this murder case. Dularchand Yadav was campaigning in support of Jansuraj’s Piyush Priyadarshi when he was murdered. Anant Singh has been winning elections from this seat. This massacre has once again proved the dominance of strongmen in the politics of Bihar. The thing to be noted here is that since 1990, except for one assembly period i.e. five years in 2000, this seat has been occupied by the family of Bahubali Anant Singh. Anant Singh is also called ‘Chhote Sarkar’ in the area. Anant Singh is a notorious gangster-politician, who has also been a JDU MLA. His story exposes the deep roots of crime and politics of Bihar.
Background: Journey from ‘uncle’ to MLA
rise: The political journey of Anant Singh, who is also known as ‘Chhote Sarkar’, was associated with JDU. He was elected MLA from Mokama assembly seat in 2005 and 2010 on JDU ticket. He was elected on IND ticket in 2015 and RJD ticket in 2020 but after being convicted by the court, he had to resign and his wife was elected in his place.
Criminal History: Anant Singh has several serious criminal cases registered against him, including charges like murder, kidnapping, and gun smuggling. Apart from this, many cases of land grabbing are also registered against him. The floodplains have been particularly infamous for caste wars between the two upper castes of Bihar, the Bhumihars and the Rajputs. In this dangerous struggle he emerged as the Robin Hood of his community. Even today the situation is such that people of the area avoid going out at night for fear of kidnapping or murder. This is a classic example of the nexus of crime and politics in Bihar.
Muzaffarpur Location: Talking about the politics of Muzaffarpur, Anant Singh himself does not have any dominance in this area, but because of his elder brother Dilip Singh, he is known as a powerful and influential personality. His name has often cropped up in local criminal incidents and land encroachment cases.
In the 2025 elections, Anant Singh’s name has once again emerged to influence political equations through political fear and terror. At present he is out of jail, but even when he was inside the jail, it was believed that Anant Singh was influencing the politics of his area through phone from jail itself. Both his supporters and opponents took his opinions and ‘orders’ seriously. This naturally raises questions on the fairness of the elections. Anant Singh’s inclination can be a big advantage or disadvantage for any candidate, as he can influence a specific vote bank and through fear.
Role and reaction of political parties
JDU: JDU had formally distanced itself from Anant Singh. Party leaders used to claim that they no longer had anything to do with the party. However, the opposition continued to raise questions as to how a former JDU MLA remains so influential. But now with Anant Singh contesting the elections on JDU ticket, the whole game has come out in the open. BJP, being an ally of JDU, kept trying to clarify the issue. He also distanced himself from Anant Singh and said that the law will take its course.
Opposition (RJD and Congress): For the opposition, Anant Singh was a weapon. Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi continuously accused Nitish Kumar’s government and NDA of promoting ‘politics of criminalization’ by citing the example of Anant Singh. He said that this symbolizes the return of ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar.
Role of Election Commission and Administration
Anant Singh’s case also raised questions on the capacity and will of the Election Commission and the administrative machinery.
Anant Singh’s emergence in the elections is not an isolated incident, rather it points to a persistent problem in Bihar politics.
1.Symbiosis of crime and politics: Anant Singh’s case shows how a person can remain politically relevant despite having a criminal background. Their influence is not limited to directly contesting elections, but to influencing political equations through fear and intimidation.
2. Part of the election narrative: The opposition attacked the NDA government by making Anant Singh a symbol of the return of ‘Jungle Raj’. This put the NDA in a defensive position.
3. Weakness of the system: This incident also shows the weaknesses of our law and order and prison system.
4. Message to the public: For the general public, the name of Anant Singh is a symbol of fear and chaos. Their presence adds an element of fear to the electoral process and weakens the basic spirit of democracy.
Ultimately, The story of Anant Singh is a story of Bihar elections which did not end even after the elections. This symbolizes a persistent problem, which requires not only political will to deal with, but also fundamental reforms in the law and order system. Until this nexus of crime and fear is completely eliminated from Bihar politics, characters like Anant Singh will remain relevant.
