Patna: The ongoing internal standoff between JD(U) MLA from Mokama and strongman Anant Singh and the party candidate in the MLC poll from Patna Graduates’ constituency Neeraj Kumar has reached its flashpoint.
Anant on Sunday claimed that he would ensure Kumar`s defeat in the poll at all costs even if it meant expulsion from the party, even as Bihar health minister and former chief minister Nitish Kumar`s son, Nishant Kumar urged young party workers to unite and actively campaign for Neeraj Kumar to ensure his victory.
While interacting with them, Nishant said, “Neeraj Kumar is a dedicated and experienced party colleague with an unwavering commitment to socialist ideology. He had consistently raised public grievances and issues concerning the welfare of his constituency.”
On the other hand, Anant argued that the dispute between him and Neeraj Kumar was not a party issue and leaders who were considering intervening in it would be making a mistake.
“If the party leaders wanted to intervene, why did they not do so earlier when Neeraj Kumar, while being in the JD(U), worked against me four times and against senior party leader and union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh twice?” he asked.
Anant said the party should not worry about the matter, claiming his votes helped elect the chief minister while Lalan Singh's votes helped elect the Prime Minister. However, he alleged that Neeraj Kumar had opposed both of them and implicated him in the AK-47 and Dularchand murder cases.
Challenging the government, he said it should seek Narco tests for both of them to establish the truth. “He blames us and expects us to embrace him? That is not going to happen. I will not backtrack, whether I remain in the party or not,” he said.
He also claimed that he had worked more for the party than Neeraj Kumar, accusing the latter of doing little beyond abusing him and not working for the party among the people. He said he had spent time in jail, sustained bullet injuries and even weighed Nitish Kumar against silver coins, but continued to respect him despite the party doing little for him, as Nitish had worked to transform Bihar.
