Bahubalis assert dominance in Bihar election, keep their traditional fiefdoms intact

Anant Kumar Singh -- the jailed gangster-turned-politician arrested in connection with the murder of Jan Suraaj supporter Dular Chand Yadav -- won the Mokama constituency on Friday. He beat RJD candidate Veena Singh by 28,206 votes, polling 91,416 votes to her 63,210. His arrest days before voting had dominated headlines during the campaign.

The Mokama seat has remained with Singh's family since 1990, whatever the party affiliation may be, except for a brief interlude.

Singh gave the mantle to his wife Neelam Devi in 2022, when his conviction in a UAPA case led to his disqualification from the assembly. He was recently acquitted in the case by the Patna High Court.

How ‘bahubalis’ and their kins fared in Bihar Assembly polls?

From veterans to newcomers, bahubalis tapped into local clout, caste equations and formidable ground networks to clinch wins -- a reminder that Bihar’s electoral landscape still favours figures shaped by power and patronage.

A look at some of the key wins:

Osama Shahab, son of deceased gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, who was a several-term MP from Siwan, won from the Raghunathpur assembly seat in Bihar.

According to the EC website, RJD candidate Osama Shahab defeated his nearest rival, Vikas Kumar Singh of the JD(U), by a margin of 9,248 votes. Shahab bagged 88,278 votes, while Singh secured 79,030 votes.

In the Tarari Vidhan Sabha constituency, BJP’s Vishal Prashant, son of Sunil Pandey, defeated CPI-ML’s Madan Singh by 11,464 votes.

Likewise, JD(U)’s Amrendra Kumar Pandey clinched the Kuchaikote seat, defeating Congress candidate Hari Narayan Singh by 24,491 votes, while in Ekma, Manoranjan Singh beat RJD’s Srikant Yadav with a margin of 22,708 votes.

Prabhunath Singh’s son and JD(U) candidate Randhir Kumar Singh secured Manjhi after defeating CPI(M)’s Satyendra Yadav by a margin of 9,787 votes.

JDU’s Vibha Devi kept Nawada while Chetan Anand, son of Anand Mohan Singh, won the Nabinagar seat by a very small margin of 112 votes. Ashok Mahato’s wife Anita won from Warsaliganj on a RJD ticket.

Setbacks witnessed by bahubali belt

RJD’s Ritlal Yadav, currently lodged in Bhagalpur jail, suffered a heavy defeat in Danapur, losing to BJP’s Ramkripal Yadav by 29,133 votes. In Rupauli, Bima Bharati -- wife of Awadhesh Mandal -- was beaten by JD(U)’s Kaladhar Prasad Mandal.

Barh saw RJD’s Karnveer Singh Yadav fall to BJP’s Siyaram Singh, while in Lalganj, Munna Shukla’s daughter Shivani Shukla lost to BJP’s Sanjay Kumar Singh.