NDA double standard: Fielding ‘bahubalis’ while condemning RJD’s ‘jungle raj’

The National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) star campaigners in the ongoing assembly elections in Bihar — from Modi, Nitish Kumar, and Amit Shah to Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh, and JP Nadda — have been repeatedly raising the spectre of “jungle raj” and reminding people not to allow their return.

At the same time, they are relying on the once-dreaded “Bahubalis” (strongmen) and their wives and sons in seeking votes to help them win the battle.

NDA’s double standard

This has exposed their double standard as they are campaigning for either infamous criminals-turned-politicians of that era (jungle raj) or for their wives and sons who are in the fray.

NDA’s hopes to perform better and return to power depend on these bahubalis who were accused of murder, kidnapping, extortion, and supporting the outlawed Ranvir Sena, a private militia of the landed upper castes that was allegedly involved in the massacres of Dalits and backwards.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar’s video pitch for Bihar polls: Can he turn votes in JD(U)’s favour again?

Most of these bahubalis, belonging to powerful upper castes, were part of organised crime during the 1990s to early 2000s, widely described as the “jungle raj” period.

The NDA leaders blaming the opposition RJD and Congress for jungle raj (lawlessness) in Bihar during the RJD rule while at the same time campaigning for the bahubalis and their close family members is pure hypocrisy.

References to ‘jungle raj’

Both Modi and Amit Shah have praised Nitish Kumar for taking Bihar out of jungle raj. Modi said “jungle raj will not be forgotten by people in the next 100 years” and Shah said that this election will decide whether it will be a return to jungle raj or the state will choose development.

They have already addressed over a dozen election rallies and appealed to the people to vote for their candidates, including bahubalis and their family members, citing “kanoon ka raj” (rule of law), “sushasan” (good governance), and “vikas” (development) repeatedly.

‘Nitish has no problem using bahubalis’

Bahubalis in politics are not new in semi-feudal Bihar; muscle power is rooted in politics.

Pushpender Kumar, former professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Patna, said that contrary to Nitish’s tag of “Sushashan Babu” by his party workers and supporters, he has no problem and no hesitation in using them.

The rule of law has been Nitish Kumar’s primary political plank since he came to power in November 2005. Even during the Lok Sabha election campaign last year, the NDA campaigners used the “jungle raj” narrative to remind people of those “dark days”.

Also Read: Amit Shah warns of ‘jungle raj’ if RJD returns to power in Bihar

This year, too, Modi and Shah, during multiple visits to Bihar, have relentlessly reminded people of the same narrative in public meetings.

But in reality, Nitish, who has been projected as Sushashan Babu, and the BJP have no problem when their alliance fields bahubalis and their close family members in elections.

Anant Singh — ‘Chhote Sarkar’ in Mokama

Take for instance Anant Singh, locally known as 'bahubali' for his muscle power. The former MLA, who was arrested on Sunday in the Dularchand Yadav murder case, is the JD(U) candidate for the Mokama assembly seat. He has had a strong support base in Mokama, his home turf, since 2005.

Locally known as “Chhote Sarkar”, Anant Singh is widely regarded as one capable of influencing voters through folded hands as well as through “other means”.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar says he worked for Bihar, not family, ahead of 2025 polls

Ironically, Anant Singh, who has over two dozen cases filed against him, including for murder, kidnapping, extortion, loot, and other serious crimes, was released from jail recently. He is feared so much in Mokama that no one dares to question him or talk against him in public.

Minutes after being released from Patna jail on August 6, Anant Singh loudly claimed that he would contest the polls from his traditional stronghold Mokama on a JD(U) ticket. He won the Mokama seat from jail in the 2020 Assembly polls as an RJD candidate.

Moved from RJD to JD(U)

In 2022, when he was convicted and disqualified as an MLA and debarred from contesting polls, his wife Neelam Devi contested and won the bypoll as an RJD candidate. But after Nitish re-joined hands with the BJP-led NDA on January 28, 2024 and formed the government, Anant's wife also changed sides and voted for Nitish in the trust vote in February 2024.

Anant, who belongs to the powerful upper caste Bhumihar, was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in a case related to the recovery of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 assault rifle, from his house in 2019, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Other JD(U) ‘bahubali’ candidates

Nitish's JD(U) has also fielded bahubalis such as Dhumal Singh from Ekma constituency, Amrendar Pandey from Kuchaikot, Vibha Devi, the wife of Rajbhallabh Yadav and Radha Charan Seth from the Sandesh constituency. Chetan Anand, the elder son of the dreaded bahubali Anand Mohan Singh, (imprisoned for killing IAS officer G Krishnaiah) has been fielded from the Nabinagar constituency.

Former MP Anand Mohan Singh was convicted and sentenced to life for lynching district magistrate G Krishnaiah in the mid-90s in Bihar. It was one of the glaring examples of jungle raj. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna High Court.

Also Read: Jobs, airports, farm support in Bihar manifesto: Can NDA walk the talk?

He was released in April 2023 after spending 16 years in jail. His release was possible after Nitish’s government amended the prison rules. His son Chetan Anand won the 2020 Assembly polls on an RJD ticket, but he also changed sides and voted for Nitish in the trust vote in February 2024. Now he is in the fray as a JD(U) candidate.

BJP’s ‘bahubali’ candidates

The BJP has fielded Vishal Parshant Pandey, son of Sunil Pandey, a criminal-turned-politician and a bahubali from Tarari assembly seat in Bhojpur. Pandey was sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping a reputed neurosurgeon Ramesh Chandra in Patna in 2003. Sunil Pandey was then an MLA of the Samata Party that was founded by Nitish Kumar in 1994.

Other BJP candidates with similar backgrounds are Rakesh Ojha from the Shahpur seat, Kedarnath Singh from Baniyapur, and Aruna Devi, wife of dreaded bahubali Akhilesh Singh from Warsaliganj.

Akhilesh Singh was a terror in the Nawada and Nalabda belt in the late 90s, and was allegedly involved in several massacres.

BJP's ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) of union minister Chirag Paswan has fielded Hulas Pandey, a bahubali, from Barhampur seat.

Nitish’s bahubali connection in 2000

A political observer said Nitish Kumar’s connection with bahubalis is nothing new. He recalled how Nitish became the chief minister for the first time in 2000 for only a week with the active support of half-a-dozen newly-elected jailed bahubali MLAs like Suraj Bhan Singh, Sunil Pandey, Dhumal Singh, Rajan Tiwary, Rama Singh, and Munna Shukla, all belonging to the upper caste.

They were facing cases of murder, kidnapping, robbery, illegal confinement, intimidation, and other serious crimes.

Also Read: Why Owaisi’s pitch finds few takers in Muslim-majority Kishanganj

These notorious criminals-turned-legislators who were brought from the Patna-based Beur Central Jail to vote in the floor test, shouted “Nitish Kumar Zindabad”, and got photographed with him in his chamber. That government did not last for long as Nitish failed to get a majority.

Rising crime, rampant corruption

It has not come as a surprise to many that Nitish's NDA government's much-publicised claims of “kanoon ka raj” (rule of law) and “sushasan” (good governance) have already lost relevance following rising crime and rampant corruption in recent years, and his close proximity to bahubalis.

There is no denying the fact that the official crime data of the Lalu-Rabri period reveals poor law-and-order in the state. While Tejashwi’s father Lalu Prasad was chief minister from 1990 to 1997, his wife Rabri Devi took over from 1997 to 2005.

Also Read: Amit Shah's 'no vacancy' comment, and the renewed stature of Nitish

But even 20 years after the RJD was ousted from power in Bihar, leaders from the BJP and its ally JD(U) do not let go of any opportunity to remind the people of their “misrule”, terming it as “jungle raj” (wild rule).