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The Janata Dal (United) has extended support to arrested mafia don Anant Singh, an accused in the murder of Jan Suraaj Party leader Dularchand Yadav, ahead of the Bihar elections.JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh has gone to Mokama to campaign for party candidate Anant Singh.In an interview with Republic, Singh said that Anant Singh's absence from the election campaign will not make much of a difference as he enjoys huge popularity among voters in Mokama."No difference will be felt here (during the elections) due to Anant Singh's absence. Anant Singh's past speaks volumes about his leadership. Despite being in prison, he contested elections as an independent candidate and emerged victorious by a margin of 35,000 votes—a testament to his enduring popularity among the people. He has worked for the people here. I have come here for the campaigning as he is our party candidate," JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh told Republic.Earlier in the day, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would not let Mokama feel the absence of Anant Singh.Addressing a gathering in Mokama, Lalan Singh said, "We will not let the people of Mokama feel the absence of Anant Singh."Singh added that under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership, law and order in Bihar ensures impartial investigations."We are confident that the police will conduct a fair probe and expose those behind this conspiracy. The truth will come out under Nitish Kumar's rule of law," he said.Calling on voters to support the NDA, Singh urged, "On November 6, every single vote should go to Anant Singh so that Mokama's people can prove that no conspiracy will succeed on this land."Later speaking to ANI, Singh said that recent incidents and viral videos from the region were part of a "well-planned conspiracy" to frame Anant Singh and create social tension."We have seen many videos, and it clearly shows the incident was pre-planned, executed with conspiracy," Singh told ANI.JD(U) candidate from Mokama, Anant Kumar Singh, was arrested by Patna Police in connection with the alleged murder of Jan Suraaj Party leader Dularchand Yadav.Yadav was killed on October 30 following a clash between supporters of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) and the Janata Dal (United) in the Mokama assembly constituency.Mokama is infamous for being a stronghold of influential and often controversial "strongmen" or "bahubalis" in Bihar politics, most notably Anant Kumar Singh, his brother Dilip Singh, and Surajbhan Singh.Mokama is now once again in the limelight after the murder of Dularchand Yadav, as the vote battle may be influenced by the incident. This year, the electoral battle in the Mokama Assembly constituency in Patna district, Bihar, is centred around two bahubalis—Anant Singh and Surajbhan Singh—who dominate the region's political narrative.Mokama, which will vote in the first phase on November 6, is once again set to witness a high-voltage electoral contest in the 2025 polls, as the Janata Dal (United) has fielded strongman Anant Singh, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal has nominated Veena Devi, wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.Both candidates come from the Bhumihar community, setting the stage for a direct clash of political legacies in one of Bihar's most volatile yet politically significant constituencies.Voting for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.Also Read: Bihar Assembly Elections and Bye-Elections: 'Seizures Surpass Rs 100 Crores,' Says ECI
