JD-U MLA Anant Singh to campaign against party MLC candidate

Janata Dal (United) strongman Anant Kumar Singh on Monday announced he will campaign for Jan Suraaj Party candidate Anuj Kumar Singh in the upcoming Bihar MLC elections, openly opposing his own party's nominee Neeraj Kumar for the Patna Graduates constituency. The Mokama MLA said his battle with Neeraj is personal, accusing him of being part of a conspiracy involving former JD-U president RCP Singh and his daughter Lipi Singh. The JD-U has fielded Neeraj Kumar, a former state minister, for a fourth consecutive term since 2008.

Anant Singh claimed the issue is between him and Neeraj, not with the party. He refuted reports of a rift within the JD-U, stating the party could not convince either of them. He said he will accompany Anuj during nomination on October 1, which he called auspicious after consulting a priest. The JD-U has announced three other candidates for the October 23 polls: Abhishek Jha, Anand Pushkar, and Ghanshyam Rai.