LS polls: Gangsters in jail, parties in Bihar give tickets to their kin

Every party in Bihar, is naming relatives of the bahubalis as its nominees, claiming them to be "winnable candidates"

With many bahubalis (strongmen) in Bihar politics out of the electoral race because of a Supreme Court directive, they are now putting their wives, sons and brothers in the Lok Sabha poll fray in an attempt to keep their political clout intact.

Every party in Bihar, on both sides of the spectrum -- the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance, is naming relatives of the bahubalis as its nominees, claiming them to be "winnable candidates".

"What's wrong with them? They can't be held liable for the deeds of their relatives. Winning an election is the most important thing in politics. People see them as their true representatives, and if we don't give them tickets, somebody else would," said a senior NDA leader .

In Siwan, the Lok Sabha constituency once represented by four-time MP and convicted gangster Mohammad Shahabuddin, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is all set to field his wife Hena Shahab. Shahabuddin is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail following his conviction in seven cases of abduction and murder, but he still remains a member of the party's top echelon.

Kavita Singh, a sitting JD (U) legislator, would be taking on Shahab on the Janata Dal (United) ticket. Her husband Ajay Singh, too, is named in several cases of murder, extortion and dacoity. 

Lovely Anand, the wife of jailed don Anand Mohan, is lobbying for the Congress ticket from Sheohar. Anand Mohan, currently serving a life sentence in connection with the murder of an IAS officer, had twice represented Sheohar in the Lok Sabha. If given the ticket, Lovely will be pitted against BJP MP Rama Devi, the wife of the late Brij Bihari Prasad, a well-known bahubali of his times.

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan, the wife of another don-turned-politician Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, is set to once again contest from Supaul.

Meanwhile, the RJD has decided to field Vibha Kumari from Nawada. Her husband, Raj Ballabh Yadav, was convicted of raping a minor girl and is currently in jail.

Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is fielding Chandan Kumar against her. Kumar is the younger brother of former MP Surajbhan Singh, who has been found guilty of murder. In 2014, Surajbhan's wife Veena Devi had won from Munger. But time, as per the seat-sharing agreement, the JD(U) bagged the seat.

Anant Singh, the Chhotey Sarkar of Mokama, is also likely to follow suit. According to sources in the Congress, the party may field his wife Neelam Devi from Munger as the RJD has openly expressed its discomfort with Singh, who has been named accused in several cases of murder and extortion. He was even jailed for a few months for his alleged involvement in the murder of a Yadav youth in 2015.

The RJD is planning to give the ticket to Randhir Singh, the son of jailed RJD leader Prabhunath Singh, from Maharajganj. Prabhunath Singh, a two-time former MP, is serving a life sentence in Jharkhand for killing an MLA in the 1990s.