The Janata Dal (United) on Saturday expelled its Mokama MLA Anant Singh for six years after he openly campaigned against the party's candidate, Neeraj Kumar, in the Patna Graduates' constituency in the Bihar Legislative Council elections. Anant's wife and former MLA Neelam Devi has also been expelled for six years.
Neeraj Kumar, the party's chief spokesperson and a sitting MLC seeking a fourth consecutive term, is also from Mokama and has been a long-time political rival of Anant Singh, a former gangster. Their rivalry goes back to the 2015 Bihar Assembly election, when Anant Singh defeated Neeraj, then contesting on a JD(U) ticket, as an Independent candidate.
Anant Singh had won the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections from Mokama by defeating RJD's Veena Devi by 28,206 votes.
The latest confrontation escalated on October 1, when Anant Singh openly backed Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Singh, joined his roadshow and accompanied him to file his nomination in Patna. He also held a massive roadshow for Anuj in Mokama on October 18 and campaigned against Neeraj Kumar, the JD(U)'s official candidate.
The JD(U)'s decision to expel Anant Singh came after efforts by senior leaders, including Union Minister Lallan Singh, to resolve his differences with Neeraj Kumar failed. The party's state president, Umesh Singh Kushwaha, said in the expulsion order that Anant had repeatedly defied party instructions, used insulting language against the top leadership and campaigned for a rival party's candidate.
The JD(U) has also recommended to Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar that Anant Singh be disqualified as an MLA under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Anant Singh had repeatedly targeted Neeraj Kumar and questioned other senior JD(U) leaders during the campaign. At one point, he said he would commit nine murders for Nitish Kumar, though he later retracted the remark. He also repeatedly said he had neither the sorrow of death nor the joy of living.
Tensions between supporters of Anant Singh and Neeraj Kumar escalated on the morning of October 23, the polling day, when the two sides clashed near a polling centre in Mokama. Later that afternoon, even as voting was underway, Anant Singh's supporters burst crackers and distributed sweets at his official residence, celebrating what they believed would be a victory for Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh.
The celebrations continued after polling. Anant Singh celebrated the next day and began preparations for a feast. He also took another swipe at senior JD(U) leader and Union Minister Lallan Singh, saying that the latter was no match for “a hundred other Lallan Singhs”.
JD(U) sources said Anant Singh's conduct went beyond backing a rival candidate and had become a direct challenge to the party's authority. They also alleged that the MLA was trying to project himself as having Lallan Singh's backing.
LALLAN SINGH'S MEETING WITH NITISH KUMAR
The timing of Anant Singh's expulsion also drew attention within the party. A day after polling for the Bihar Legislative Council elections on October 23, Union Minister and senior JDU leader Lallan Singh met Nitish Kumar at the latter's official residence at 7 Circular Road in Patna on Saturday. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary was also present.
According to sources, the final decision to expel Anant Singh was taken during this meeting. The expulsion letter was issued after Nitish Kumar and Lallan Singh concluded their discussion and went out to see the Union Minister off.
The action was taken even as JD(U) National Executive President Sanjay Jha was not present when the decision was made. State party president Umesh Singh Kushwaha, who issued the expulsion order, was also not in Patna at the time.
Anant Singh's expulsion marks a major disciplinary action by the JD(U) against a sitting MLA who openly defied the party's official candidate and campaigned for a rival during the MLC elections.
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