Patna, October 8: Anant Singh, the jailed "don" of Bihar, would be contesting in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The tainted politician was issued a ticket by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) from Mokama constituency. Reports claimed that he has been granted permission to file his nomination papers before the returning officer as the per the COVID-19 norms. Check List of JD(U) Candidates From 115 Constituencies of Bihar.

The Mokama seat, from where Anant would be contesting, was allotted to the RJD as per the seat-sharing formula enacted by the Mahagathbandhan. From the NDA, the JD(U) has fielded Rajiv Lochan from the constituency. The vidhan sabha segment which falls in rural Patna would go to polls in the first phase of elections on October 28.

 

Who is Anant Singh?

Anant is the incumbent legislator from Mokama - the seat from where he is seeking re-election. In 2015, he had won the constituency despite contesting as an independent candidate. The seat was first bagged by him in 2005 on the JD(U) ticket, and was retained in 2010 again on the party's symbol.

Ties between Anant and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar reportedly soured in 2014, after he was allegedly denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha polls. The next year, he was denied a ticket by the JD(U) after he was accused of involvement in a murder case.

The three-time MLA is currently lodged in Beur Central Jail, and faces a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In August last year, he had surrendered before a Delhi court in a case linked to the alleged recovery of arms and ammunition from his ancestral home in Ladma.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 08, 2020 06:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).