Don-turned-MLA Anant Singh likely to field wife from Munger Lok Sabha seat

PATNA: Neelam Devi, wife of Mokama MLA Anant Singh , is set to throw her hat in the electoral ring from Munger Lok Sabha constituency. Once considered close to JD(U) president and CM Nitish Kumar, Anant has been trying for a Congress ticket to contest Munger seat from where JD(U) is likely to field state water resources minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh @ alias Lallan Singh.

A three-term MLA, Anant was twice elected from Mokama on a JD(U) ticket before differences cropped up between Nitish and him.

Sources said Congress may hesitate from fielding Anant, a don-turned-politician, who had worked hard for its Patna rally on February 3. But, the party might not have any objection in making his wife its candidate as the sitting Munger MP Veena Devi is also a woman and the wife of a muscleman-turned-politician Surajbhan Singh of the same Bhumihar caste.

“Agar parishthiti waise banti hai to wo chunav lad sakti hain (If such a situation arises, she may contest the election),” Anant’s confidante Kartik Singh told this newspaper on Wednesday.

Anant (51), who is called ‘Chhote Sarkar’ by his supporters, has repeatedly announced his candidature from Munger Lok Sabha seat . He is facing at least 18 cases of murder, kidnapping, extortion and Arms Act. Police sources said Neelam is also an accused in an Arms Act case. However, the list of Anant’s criminal cases increased after he joined JD(U).

Anant has already launched campaign in all the six assembly segments of Munger parliamentary constituency. He addressed a series of meetings at Jamalpur, Munger, Lakhisarai, Barh and Mokama recently. Earlier, he had organized a road show from Barh in Patna to Munger.

Neelam, who is in her 40s, is not a novice in politics either. She had campaigned for her husband during the 2015 assembly election. Apprehending trouble for her husband after his differences with Nitish, Neelam had also filed her nomination papers from Mokama assembly seat in 2015. Later, she withdrew from the field and Anant won the election as an independent candidate from jail.

Lallan had lost to Veena Devi of the LJP in 2014 general election when JD(U) was not part of the NDA. Earlier, Anant had approached some senior RJD leaders for the ticket, but leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav opposed the move.

Mokama Taal area, which falls under the Munger Lok Sabha constituency, is dominated by the Yadavas and OBCs. “The rivalry between Yadavas and non-Yadav backward castes (BCs) in the taal (riverine area) is an open secret. The BCs are supported by dominant Bhumihars. Under such circumstances, the RJD will not support Anant,” says a political analyst.

Anant’s elder brother late Dilip Singh was a close aide of Congress leader Shyam Sundar Singh Dheeraj, who had represented Mokama from 1980 to 1990. Locals say Dilip’s main task was to grab booths for Dheeraj during elections. So, Anant’s family association with Congress is old, they say.

Nursing political ambitions, Dilip had contested against his mentor in 1990 as a Janata Dal candidate and emerged triumphant. Later, RJD chief Lalu Prasad made him a minister in his cabinet. Mokama was represented by Dilip till 2000 when Surajbhan contested from there and won.

After Dilip died, Anant stepped into his elder brother’s shoes and has been winning from Mokama since 2005 assembly election. “The battle in Munger will be interesting this time. Two stalwarts will be in the fray. While one has the backing of the powers-that-be, another is known for his muscle power,” Rakesh Singh, a resident of Barahiya in Lakhisarai district, said.