In a village bazaar at Maikra, people speak in hushed tones and avoid any mention of the upcoming election in Mokama Assembly constituency falling under Patna district.
The source of the palpable fear is the sitting MlA Anant Kumar Singh, who was in the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) until recently. The man who was once close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is now contesting as an Independent candidate from behind bars.
It is not only Anant Kumar Singh who is contributing to the fear factor but also some other candidates known for their muscle and firepower. Among them are lok Janshakti Party’s (lJP) Kanhaiya Singh and lallan Singh of the Jana Adhikar Party (JAP).
The lJP and JAP candidates are kin and both are related to senior lJP leader and former MP Surajbhan Singh, who is facing several criminal cases and is barred from contesting polls.
The JD(U) has fielded Neeraj Kumar who was elected to the legislative Council for two terms from graduate constituency but this is his first real electoral battle. Kumar is also the spokesman of JD(U). All the three Singhs are Bhumihars while Kumar is a Rajput.
“There are many candidates and they have a fair chance of winning,” said a youth Praveen Kumar, one of the few people who dared to voice his opinion about the elections. On further prodding, he confessed that the real fight was between Anant Kumar Singh and Neeraj Kumar. However, the majority of the people in the bazaar refused to talk about the impending election.
Anant Kumar Singh, an accused in many criminal cases had been able to keep police at bay thanks to his close ties with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. But in August, an army of policemen raided his official residence in Patna and arrested him. Since then, the MlA is in jail on charges of kidnapping and murder.
Singh is accused of abducting four people and killing one of them. When the Yadav youth’s body was discovered it was found to be badly mutilated. The brutality of the incident angered Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo lalu Prasad so much that he made sure the JD(U) MlA was arrested and sent behind bars. In fact, much to the embarrassment of the Chief Minister, lalu publicly declared that it was he who forced Nitish Kumar to order Singh’s arrest.
Now, while Singh is lodged in Bhagalpur Central Jail, his wife, relatives and followers have assumed command of electioneering.
From the talks with the local people it is difficult to assume which candidate they favour but the JD(U)’s Neeraj Kumar is confident that due to Nitish Kumar, the wind is blowing in his favour.
“People in Mokama want peace and development. They also want an end to criminalization of society,” said Kumar, adding that kidnappings, murders and gang wars are the order of the day in Mokama.
Reading the mood of the people, Kumar has released a manifesto promising development work and projects for the benefit of all sections of society. He is banking on the votes of Yadavs, OBCs, Dalits, Muslims and of his own caste men the Rajputs.
At Shivnar, a fruit seller Kishore echoed the fear of the voters: “I will keep away from the bloodshed that is bound to happen on polling day.”