Bihar Polls See Rise of Strongmen, Relatives in State Assembly

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Bihar's recent assembly elections have seen a significant number of strongmen and their relatives securing seats in the state assembly. According to data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), at least 11 of the 20 'bahubali' leaders or their relatives have won the polls, marking a notable trend in the state's politics. One of the most prominent winners is Janata Dal (United) strongman Anant Singh, who won his sixth consecutive term from the Mokama constituency despite being behind bars. Arrested on November 2 in connection with a murder case, Singh defeated RJD's Veena Devi, wife of local gangster Surajbhan Singh, by a margin of 28,206 votes. Other notable winners include JD(U)'s Radha Charan Seth, who secured the Sandesh assembly seat by just 27 votes, the narrowest margin in the state polls. RJD's Osama Shahab, son of the late Mohammad Shahabuddin, a former influential bahubali leader, won the election from Raghunathpur seat in Siwan with a margin of 9,248 votes. However, not all strongmen and their relatives fared well in the polls. RJD's Bima Bharti, wife of criminal Awadhesh Mandal, faced a crushing defeat in Rupauli seat, losing to Kalandhar Prasad Mandal by 73,572 votes. Similarly, Shivani Shukla, the RJD candidate from Lalgang and daughter of jailed criminal Munna Shukla, lost to BJP's Sanjay Kumar Singh by 32,167 votes. The trend of strongmen and their relatives securing seats in the state assembly raises concerns about the influence of crime and muscle power in Bihar's politics. As the state's new assembly takes shape, it remains to be seen how these leaders will navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries in the state's politics.