PATNA: As Bihar gears up for the first phase of assembly elections on November 6, muscle power continues to cast a long shadow over the state’s politics with jailed strongmen continuing to shape the campaign narrative through their political patrons.
On Monday, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, despite his poor health, campaigned in Danapur for party candidate Ritlal Yadav, who is currently lodged in Bhagalpur Central Jail on charges of extortion, murder, and kidnapping for ransom. Joined by his daughter and RJD MP Misa Bharti, Lalu drew large crowds as flower petals were showered on his convoy. Ritlal, who had defeated BJP’s Asha Sinha from the same seat in 2020, is in jail for allegedly threatening a builder for extortion money.
In Mokama, the ruling JD(U) mounted a counter show of strength as Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary led a 30-km roadshow for another jailed candidate, Anant Singh. The influential local strongman, arrested last week for his alleged role in connection with the murder of Dular Chand Yadav, a supporter of the Jan Suraaj Party. He has been remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody, but his campaign shows no signs of slowing down, with top JD(U) leaders taking charge on his behalf.
Speaking to reporters, Lalan Singh dismissed the murder allegations as part of a larger conspiracy. “It’s Jai Jai for Modi and Nitish in Bihar. The NDA government will return to power under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. The incident was not spontaneous. There was a full conspiracy behind it,” he said, urging police to “expose everyone involved.”
As the campaign heats up, the scenes in Danapur and Mokama underscore an enduring reality of Bihar’s politics that candidates with criminal records continue to wield deep influence, often with the full backing of their political parties.
