In the thrilling Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, Mokama, around 90 kilometers from Patna, has once again become one of the most gripping contests. Historically dominated by Bhumihar leaders and known for its volatile political landscape, elections here have seen street battles with instances of gunfire.
This time, the head-to-head battle is between JDU's Anant Singh, known as 'Chhote Sarkar,' and Veena Devi, wife of former MP Surajbhan Singh, contesting on an RJD ticket. Both belong to the Bhumihar community, turning this electoral clash into a game of influence, wealth, and old rivalries.
Anant Singh, holding a strong grip on this seat for nearly two decades, is determined to reclaim his political stronghold under the JDU banner after being acquitted by the Patna High Court. Meanwhile, Veena Devi, whose husband Surajbhan Singh is known locally as 'Dada,' is reviving the old rivalry between their families. This seat is part of the first voting phase on November 6 and the result will send an important message regarding the acceptability of strongmen in Bihar's politics.
The Politics of Strongmen
Mokama is not just fertile land famous for its pulse and wheat cultivation. Over the past five decades, it has given rise to many strongmen whose influence extended across Bihar and neighboring states, leading to their election as legislators and MPs. Entering politics in Mokama began post-independence as large Congress leaders and landlords used strongmen and gangsters during elections. One senior Congress leader, who served as an MLA twice, made several strongmen like Dilip Singh (Anant Singh's older brother) and Dular Chand Yadav his henchmen. These henchmen later became political figures themselves. Mokama's geographical setup has always fueled this style of politics.
Despite being close to the capital, Patna, the interior areas, especially the fertile riverbanks (Diyara) and shallow water regions (Tal), were hard to reach. In these notorious areas, farmers toiled to cultivate crops, only to see them plundered by bandits. To counter this, 'protector gangs' led by strongmen emerged in the 1970s to keep dacoits at bay.
Experts suggest a Congress leader first backed these strongmen, but as they learned political machinations, they sought to overthrow their patrons and establish themselves. Dilip Singh, a protégé, contested on a Janata Dal ticket in 1990 and defeated his rival. Subsequently, Congress promoted Suraj Bhan, who won the seat as an independent candidate in 2000, defeating Dilip Singh. Anant Singh avenged this defeat by winning the seat in 2005 and has since held sway.
Anant Singh's Political Journey
Anant Singh captured the Mokama seat in 2005 and has been a five-time MLA since. He even won the 2020 election as an RJD candidate from jail. However, his tenure was cut short in 2022 after being convicted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), leading to disqualification. Following his imprisonment, his wife Neelam Devi won the by-election on an RJD ticket.
Recently, acquitted by the Patna High Court, Anant Singh is back, representing JDU, to reclaim his seat. With assets totaling Rs 37.88 crore and 28 criminal cases, including murder and kidnapping, against him, he remains an indomitable figure. His wife Neelam Devi's declared assets stand at Rs 62.72 crore, with over Rs 50 crore in loans owed by the couple.
Anant Singh styles himself as a 'Robin Hood' figure, and locals still address him as 'Vidhayak Ji' even when his wife was the MLA. Residents recall how he stopped certain caste-based strongmen from forcibly seizing crops. Passionately, Anant Singh declares, "Only when someone talks to us they understand if we are strongmen or social workers. When nothing happened no slaps were exchanged after 2000, how are we strongmen? A strongman would have slapped to win. The public loves us, that makes us strongmen." His supporters credit him for infrastructure developments like roads, water supply, and village electrification, and draining floodwaters from the 'Tal' region to aid Rabi crop sowing.
Veena Devi's Challenge
Facing Anant Singh is ex-MP Surajbhan Singh's wife, Veena Devi. Since Surajbhan Singh is barred from elections due to a murder conviction, he launched his wife under the RJD banner. He was Dilip Singh's protege in the 1990s and demonstrated clout by defeating him in 2000 as an independent candidate. Despite backing several opponents against Anant Singh over the years, and supporting gangster Nalini Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh's wife, Sonam Devi, in the 2022 by-election, Surajbhan has remained influential.
Ninth-grade educated, Veena Devi campaigns on development matters, asserting, "We're asking for votes on development issues. Progress here has stalled, and we want to restart it. We envision 'One Mokama, Noble Mokama,' without discrimination based on caste or religion." Her husband, Surajbhan, stealthily orchestrates election plans behind the scenes. Their relative, Ritesh Kumar Singh, acknowledges their 'strongmen' reputation but claims they prioritize people's welfare.
Tales of Other Contenders
Mokama electorate includes around 289,000 voters, known for their active participation, with Anant Singh securing a victory by 78,721 votes in 2020 elections. The constituency comprises 82,000 Dhanu and Kurmis, followed by over 50,000 Bhumihars and 40,000 Yadavs. Both main candidates hail from the Bhumihar community, implying a split in their votes. In this race, Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraj Party (JSP) fields Priyadarshi Piyush, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) introduces Dr. Rajesh Kumar Ratnakar.
Priyadarshi Piyush, with a master's degree from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, focuses on unemployment and illiteracy, seeking support from Yadavs, Dhanuks, and Kurmis. Election analysts predict an Anant Singh and Veena Devi showdown on polling day, as voting in Mokama sways by charisma rather than party. Anant Singh has cultivated personal connections with all societal segments, yet the RJD MLC status of his former manager, Kartik Kumar Singh, might impact his campaign adversely. On the flip side, Surajbhan personally navigates his wife’s campaign, though his superficial attachment to the local people for over two decades might play against him.
