Jailed Don-Turned-Politician Takes Lead in Bihar Polls: Who is Anant Singh?

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A shocking twist in the Bihar assembly elections: Anant Kumar Singh, known as 'Chhote Sarkar', is leading in the Mokama constituency despite being jailed. Singh, a powerful mobiliser of the Bhumihar caste vote bank and four-time legislator, has a history of serious criminal cases. As per the Election Commission of India's trends, Singh is taking the lead in the EC trends, with a voter turnout of 64.77% in the first phase of the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. Singh's wife, Neelam Devi, previously won the Mokama seat on a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket in the 2022 by-election but later shifted her support to the NDA government. Singh's rise to power began in the early 2000s when he aligned with Nitish Kumar's JD(U). He first contested from the Mokama seat in February 2005 and has held the assembly seat for four consecutive terms. However, his ties with JD(U) turned sour due to his criminal activities, resulting in him contesting the 2015 assembly election as an Independent. Singh's history is marred with controversy, including a conviction in 2022 for the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and a sentence of 10 years in prison. He was also acquitted in the Arms Act case in 2024. Despite being disqualified as a legislator, his wife Neelam Devi won the by-election on RJD's ticket. In a stunning move, JD(U) has once again given Singh the ticket from the Mokama assembly constituency. When submitting his nomination papers last month, Singh declared assets worth ₹37.88 crore, while his wife owns assets worth ₹62.72 crore. The development has raised eyebrows, with many questioning how a jailed don-turned-politician can lead in the polls. The results of the Bihar assembly elections are being closely watched, with many speculating about the future of Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister.