Patna: JD (U) MLA and strongman, Anant Singh, on Monday announced his retirement from electoral politics, and said that now his children would contest the polls.
Votes from Behind Bars
Singh, who reached assembly from Beur Jail to cast his vote for the Rajya Sabha election, told newspersons, “Since Nitish Kumar will no longer be in Bihar, I will also refrain from contesting elections. Now, my children will enter the electoral fray.”
Singh has been jailed in connection with the murder of Dularchand Yadav (a supporter of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party) ahead of the last state assembly elections. He has twin sons- Ankit Singh and Abhishek Singh. It has to be seen how the JD (U) leader launches them in electoral politics.
When asked who would be the state's next Chief Minister, Singh replied that Nitish would decide who was going to hold the post.
The MP-MLA Court had granted permission to Singh to cast his vote in the Rajya Sabha election. He reached the assembly under tight security and police surveillance, as he returned to the jail immediately after casting his vote.
A Wandering Political Loyalty
Anant Singh has represented Mokama seat for six consecutive terms, winning first time in February, 2005 and subsequently in October same year. He also won the seat in the assembly elections, held in 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025. He contested assembly elections in 2005 and 2010 on the JD (U) ticket but won the 2015 election as an Independent candidate and the 2020 election as an RJD candidate. He fought the last assembly election on JD (U) ticket.
Anat Singh was booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2019 after the seizure of an AK-47 rifle and grenade from his ancestral house at Ladma village under Barh sub-division in Patna district. In June 2022, he was convicted in connection with the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 2024, the High Court acquitted him in the Arms Act case. After he was disqualified as a legislator due to his conviction in 2022, his wife, Neelam Devi, won the by-election on RJD's ticket. In the last assembly election, Singh won Mokama seat on JD (U) ticket.
