Expelled Janata Dal (United) MLA and Mokama strongman Anant Singh on Sunday claimed the party would be reduced to “10-12 seats” in the next Bihar assembly elections, and indicated he may float his own political outfit.
Singh, who was expelled from the JD(U) on Saturday for six years over alleged anti-party activities, said he had "no regrets" over the disciplinary action taken against him. He also questioned the authority of the current party brass, saying although the party originally belonged to former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, it has lost its political standing under the leaders who reportedly orchestrated his removal.
“The party belonged to Nitish ji. Now that he is no longer there (in an active role), what is left of the party? Who among those in the leadership — the ones who expelled me — has actually contributed anything?” he told reporters.
“Now, they will be reduced to 10-12 seats... Why will I go anywhere? I will simply build my own party. The JD(U) is finished. Once they hold elections, everything will become clear,” he added.
The JD(U) currently has 84 MLAs in the 243-member assembly. It is the second largest party in the state after its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has 88 members. In the Lok Sabha, the JD(U) has 12 members.
Singh had revolted against the JD(U) by campaigning for Jan Suraaj Party's candidate Anuj Singh for the Bihar legislative council elections. He vowed to "defeat" JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar in the council polls by supporting and canvassing for Anuj Singh. The JD(U) also recommended to the Bihar assembly speaker that Anant Singh's membership as an MLA be terminated under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, commonly known as the anti-defection law.
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Besides Singh, his wife and former MLA Neelam Devi has been expelled from the party for six years over alleged anti-party activities. Reports suggested the expulsions came after Union minister and senior JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh met Kumar in Patna on Saturday.
The former JD(U) leader maintained his personal equation with Kumar was cordial and that there was “no distance” between them. He said he continued to hold the former chief minister in high regard and claimed no one would have dared to act against him if Kumar retained control over the party. The current leadership, he alleged, consists of people who had no role in building the party.
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Singh, long known as ‘Chhote Sarkar’ in the Mokama-Barh belt for his local influence, has had a chequered relationship with the JD(U). He won the Mokama seat in the 2025 assembly elections on the party ticket. His wife earlier represented the constituency.