JD(U) MLA Anant Singh defends loyalty to Nitish Kumar amid party dissent

Internal dissent is growing within the Janata Dal (United) as Mokama assembly constituency MLA Anant Singh asserts his loyalty to former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while opposing a party candidate for the upcoming Legislative Council elections.

The Dispute

Mr. Singh stated that he supported Mr. Kumar when he was "nobody" in politics and claimed he has made more sacrifices for him than anyone else. He issued these remarks after boycotting JD(U) candidate Neera Kumar Singh in the Patna graduates' constituency race and backing Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Singh instead. Mr. Singh argued that the party made a mistake by giving the ticket to Neeraj Kumar and blamed him for opposing his own candidature during the 2025 assembly election. While denying he is challenging Mr. Kumar, Mr. Singh clarified that his controversial remarks about nine people did not mean he committed murders, but rather that nine of his supporters were killed after Nitish Kumar parted ways with Lalu Prasad.

BJP Response

Meanwhile, the Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party criticized Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor over alleged remarks made during a poll campaign. BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi condemned Mr. Kishor for allegedly stating that if criminals die in police encounters, Samrat Choudhary is the biggest criminal. Mr. Saraogi termed the comments a violation of democratic decorum and claimed they reflect a suit-and-boot version of past lawlessness.

Context

Political realignments and candidate disputes often create friction within parties during legislative council elections in Bihar. Leaders frequently invoke past loyalty and historical ties to justify internal disagreements over ticket distribution.