JD(U)’s Anant Singh backs Jan Suraaj candidate in Bihar MLC polls

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, Oct 1 (IANS) The contest for the Patna Graduates’ constituency in the Bihar Legislative Council has gained added attention after JD(U) MLA from Mokama, Anant Singh, openly backed Jan Suraaj candidate Dr Anuj Kumar Singh against his own party’s nominee, incumbent MLC Neeraj Kumar.

Anant Singh was present with Anuj Singh when the Jan Suraaj candidate filed his nomination on Thursday.

He has also announced that he will campaign for Anuj Singh in the constituency.

The development has brought the long-standing differences between Anant Singh and Neeraj Kumar into the spotlight and added an intra-party dimension to an already closely watched contest.

The JD(U) has once again fielded Neeraj Kumar from the Patna Graduates’ constituency.

Kumar is the party’s chief spokesperson and a former minister, and is seeking a fourth consecutive term in the Legislative Council.

Anant Singh, meanwhile, has made clear that his opposition is directed at Neeraj Kumar rather than the JD(U) as a whole.

He has publicly pledged to campaign for Anuj Singh and work for Neeraj Kumar’s defeat.

Both Anant Singh and Neeraj Kumar are associated with the Mokama-Barh region, and differences between the two leaders have previously featured in Bihar’s political discourse.

Their rivalry has now become part of the campaign surrounding the Patna Graduates’ election.

Jan Suraaj has fielded Anuj Kumar Singh from the Patna Graduates’ seat, while the RJD has also entered the contest with its own candidate.

The presence of candidates from the three political formations has made the constituency one of the closely watched contests in the council elections.

Anant Singh’s participation in Anuj Singh’s nomination has further highlighted the political significance of the contest, particularly because Singh is an elected JD(U) MLA while Neeraj Kumar is the party’s official candidate for the same seat.

Elections are being held for eight seats in the Bihar Legislative Council — four Graduate constituencies and four Teachers’ constituencies.

The Graduates’ constituencies are Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Kosi, while the Teachers’ constituencies are Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut and Saran.

Polling is scheduled for October 23, with counting and declaration of results scheduled for October 27.

The nomination process began with the issuance of the election notification on September 29. Candidates can file nominations until October 6, scrutiny will take place on October 7, and the last date for withdrawal is October 9. The election process is scheduled to conclude by October 31.

–IANS

ajk/dpb

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Radhakrishnan’s victory is being attributed to the strong bond that keeps the NDA constituents together and Prime Minister Modi’s insistence on attention to detail. According to a BJP MP, the PM had made sure that every member of his party was aware of the process and knew the exact procedure.

The polls were notified by the ECI on August 7, setting Aug 21 as the last date for filing nominations. On August 22, nominations were scrutinised in the presence of representatives from all contesting parties.

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Radhakrishnan will be administered the oath on Wednesday in the presence of the President of India, members of both Houses of Parliament, and constitutional dignitaries.

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