Bihar polls: 11 of 20 strongmen, their relatives make it to House

NBetimes a two weeks after his check in link with the remove of a Jan Suraaj Party supporter during the poll campaign, Janata Dal (United) strongman Anant Singh on Friday won the assembly poll from Mokama constituency for the sixth straight time — his third consecutive win while contesting from behind bars. Popular in his constituency as “Chhote Sarkar”, Singh is among 11 of the 20 bahubali leaders or their relatives to win the Bihar polls, data from the Election Commission of India (ECI) shows.Singh, who was arrested early on November 2 in connection with the murder of another strongman Dularchand Yadav during the poll campaign, defeated RJD’s Veena Devi, wife of local gangster-turned-former lawmaker Surajbhan Singh, by a margin of 28,206 votes.Jailed RJD leader Rit Lal Roy, who is booked under multiple criminal cases, including for murder, contested the polls from Danapur seat. He, however, lost to senior BJP leader and former parliamentarian Ram Kripal Yadav by a margin of 29,188 votes, according to ECI data.Radha Charan Seth, another JD(U) strongman, won from Sandesh assembly seat, which is part of the Arrah Lok Sabha constituency, against RJD’s Dipu Singh — son of criminal-turned-politician Arun Yadav — by 27 votes, the narrowest margin in the state polls.In Barh, local strongman Karnveer Singh Yadav, contesting on an RJD ticket, lost to BJP’s Siyaram Singh by 24,813 votes. In Matihani, RJD strongman Narendra Kumar Singh, alias Bogo Singh, defeated Raj Kumar Singh of the JD(U) by 5,290 votes.Similarly, JD(U)’s Amrendra Kumar Pandey won the Kuchaikote seat against Hari Narayan Singh of the Congress by 24,365 votes and its Ekma candidate Manoranjan Singh beat Srikant Yadav by 22,708 votes.Gangster-turned-politician Sunil Pandey’s son Vishal Prashant, who was contesting on a BJP ticket from Tarari, defeated CPI(M-L)’s Madan Singh by 10,659 votes. Pandey’s brother Hulas Pande, the LJP (RV) candidate from Brahampur, lost to Sambhu Nath Yadav of the RJD by 3,220 votes.RJD’s Osama Shahab, whose father late Mohammad Shahabuddin ruled Siwan as his fiefdom and was possibly the most influential bahubali leader in Bihar, won the election from Raghunathpur seat in Siwan against JD(U)’s Vikash Kumar Singh by a margin of 9,248 votes.Another RJD leader and Belaganj candidate Vishvanath Kumar Singh, son of gangster Surendra Yadav, lost to JD(U)’s Manorma Devi, wife of slain criminal-politician Bindi Yadav, by 2,882 votes.Another RJD leader Bima Bharti, wife of criminal Awadhesh Mandal, faced a crushing defeat in Rupauli seat at the hands of Kalandhar Prasad Mandal by 73,572 votes — the biggest margin of defeat in the state polls. BJP’s Kedar Nath Singh, brother of jailed gangster Prabhunath Singh, won the Baniapur seat by 15,436 votes against Chandni Devi of the RJD.Shivani Shukla, the RJD candidate from Lalgang and daughter of jailed criminal Munna Shukla, lost to BJP’s Sanjay Kumar Singh by 32,167 votes. Another RJD leader Purnima Yadav, wife of strongman Kushal Yadav, lost from Gobindpur by a margin of 22,906 votes against Binita Mehta of the LJP(RV).Another gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan, whose son Chetan Anand contested from Nabinagar seat, won by a slender margin of 112 votes against Amod Kumar Singh of the RJD.In Warsaliganj, RJD’s Anita, wife of a gangster Ashik Mahto, won by 7,543 votes against Aruna Devi of the BJP.