Nitish's friend-turned-foe faces acid test on home turf

Jailed MLA Anant Kumar Singh might be down but not out, say his supporters

He is like Don Vito Corleone, the main character in Mario Puzo's The Godfather. Bihar's bahubali MLA Anant Kumar Singh, popularly known as 'Chotte Sarkar', dispenses instant justice to those who approach him. He doesn't care about the police or courts. Singh, the two-time MLA from Mokama, is a legend in this sleepy town on the banks of the Ganga.

Singh may be behind bars, but his presence is all-pervasive, as he is contesting the election as an independent candidate from Mokama. Till a few months ago, this Bhumihar strongman was an integral part of the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U).
 

There are many stories about him. Some say he keeps a python in his house; others show pictures of him carrying an AK-47. Even Chief Minister Nitish Kumar couldn't rein him in. Singh is also famous for his philanthropic activities such as organising of mass weddings for poor girls in the area.

The two-time MLA ran out of luck when his henchmen allegedly kidnapped four young men, one of whom, a Yadav, was subsequently found murdered. Such was Singh's clout that when then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Patna Jitendra Rana tried to book him, he was hastily transferred to another district. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in a bid to revive its loyal Muslim-Yadav combination, forced Nitish Kumar's to arrest him. To arrest him, an entire battalion of police descended on his village. Upset with the move, Singh quit JD(U).

There are several kidnapping, murder and rape cases pending against him. His caste members feel he has been wronged. At Mokama Chowk, a stone's throw from the railway station, a stationary store owner, says, "Chotte Sarkar ensured speedy justice, it doesn't matter how he did it. Threatened by his rising popularity, Lalu Prasad and Nitish hatched the plan to oust him."

Mithilesh Yadav, a cattle grazer, couldn't hide his glee as he narrates how the jailed don's wife, Neelam Devi, came to his house, seeking his vote. However, he won't vote for Singh.

Those from the "upper castes" attribute "improved law and order" in the area to Singh. Ram Kripal, a fruit seller, says, "We never dared to venture out late evening, criminals had a free run and ordinary people had no choice but to migrate. Chotte Sarkar changed that in the last 10 years. He is our hero."

However, not all agree. There is a simmering discontent among the extremely backward classes (EBCs). A middle-aged man from the Paan community says, "The police should be looking after law and order not Singh. He landed in jail because he did something wrong."

Rukmani Devi, a Dhanuk belonging to the EBC, says, "A few months ago, a man tried to enter my house. I cried for help and some people came. They chased him away. The next day when I went to register a complaint, the policemen simply refused to file it because that man was one of the Anant Singh's goons. Nobody from my village is ever going to support that criminal."

Despite being in power for over a decade, Singh has not done any development to speak of. The area doesn't have a hospital and people have to travel 96 km to Patna for treatment. There are schools but no teachers; roads are in a pathetic situation.

Mokama has been a pocket borough of Singh's family. His elder brother Dilip Singh won the seat in 1990 as an independent candidate and went to become a minister in Lalu's Cabinet. Some allege that Lalu opted for him because of his proximity to Nitish. In 1995, he again contested the election, but this time on a Janata Dal ticket. However, because of the Lalu-Nitish feud, he was dropped from the Cabinet. In 2000, another 'bahubali', Suraj Bhan wrested the seat from the Singhs. But in 2005, Anant Singh won the seat.

However, it might not be an easy fight for Singh, as there are three Bhumihars in the fray this time. The two others being JD(U)'s Neeraj Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party's Kanhaiya Singh, the brother of former MP Suraj Bhan.

Singh has money power too. He owns Central Mall, a heritage hotel and several plush properties in Patna. He even has a diamond processing unit in Surat.

Central Bureau of Investigation officials recently raided Singh's offices in connection with irregularities in awarding contracts to NTPC's massive power plant in neighbouring Barh.

2010 Assembly polls

• MOKAMA
  
  Winner:  JD(U)  Anant Kumar Singh
  

Runner up: LJP Sonam Devi 2014 Lok Sabha polls

• MUNGER LOK SABHA CONSTITUENCY
  
  Winner: LJP Veena Devi
  
  Runner up: JD(U) Rajiv Ranjan Singh