Prashant Kishor's JSP announces 5 candidates for Bihar Legislative Council polls

The state-level Legislative Council elections in Bihar, scheduled for late October or early November, have reignited a long-standing rivalry between two JD(U) leaders, Anant Kumar Singh and Neeraj Kumar. Both men hail from Mokama and share a Bhumihar background, intensifying their rivalry over electoral contests, public attacks, and criminal cases that have persisted for over a decade.

Anant Kumar Singh, a powerful MLA and strongman in Mokama, has declared that he will utilize his influence to defeat Neeraj Kumar, the party chief's spokesperson, in the upcoming elections. Singh alleges that Neeraj has never supported him in his political career and even framed him in an AK-47 possession case in 2019, where the Patna High Court acquitted him in August 2024. Singh further challenged Neeraj to undergo a narco-analysis test, claiming that Neeraj was behind his implication in the case.

Neeraj Kumar, who is also from Mokama, is seeking a fourth consecutive MLC term from the Patna Graduates constituency. He rejects Singh's allegations, stating that he has been a loyal soldier of party chief Nitish Kumar for over 35 years. Neeraj also dismissed Singh's demand for a narco-test, emphasizing that it can only be ordered by a court based on a valid complaint. He added that the election would ultimately be decided by the 88,000 registered graduate voters in the constituency.