Anant Kumar Singh

Anant Kumar Singh, also known as Chhote Sarkar, is an Indian politician and a former MLA from the Mokama assembly constituency of Bihar. A former member of the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) party, he joined Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in 2020. According to his election affidavit of 2020, he is facing 38 criminal charges including 7 murders, 11 attempt-to-murder and 4 cases of kidnapping.

Life and career
Anant Singh was born in the village of Nadawan falling under Barh CD block, Bihar to Chandradeep Singh in a Bhumihar family. His elder brother Dilip Singh, also a politician, became MLA from Mokama in 1990 and 1995 as a member of Janata Dal, but lost to another gangster turned politician, Surajbhan Singh in the assembly elections of year 2000 on RJD ticket. Anant Singh contested and won from the Mokama assembly seat in 2005 on a JDU ticket. He retained the seat in 2010, defeating Sonam Devi of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) by a large margin. He is married to Nilam Devi.

On 2 September 2015, Singh quit the JDU following a fall-out with leader Nitish Kumar over the JDU's new alliance with the RJD, but was able to retain his seat as an Independent.

On 16 August 2019, Singh was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after the police took possession of an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, live cartridges and two hand grenades following a raid on his ancestral home in Ladma village of Patna district.

In 2020, Singh was given a ticket from Rashtriya Janata Dal to contest in the upcoming Bihar legislative election. He won from the Mokama constituency with 35,291 votes, winning for the seat for the fourth consecutive time.

Even after JDU left mahagathbandhan in 2017, Nitish Kumar continued to have a tough stance on Anant Singh, especially after he fielded his wife Nilam Devi as Congress candidate in 2019 lok sabha elections from Munger against JDU's Lallan Singh.

He contested the 2020 Vidhansabha elections from Mokama on RJD ticket and won from jail. However he was disqualified in 2022 due to a case for illegal position of weapons. His wife Nilam Devi won the bye elections from Mokama on RJD Ticket.

However, she switched sides to JDU when it left Mahagathbandhan again in 2024. Anant Singh was released on parole for 15 days during the 2024 lok sabha election and was campaigning in Munger for JDU's Lallan Singh.

Criminal cases and influence
Singh has numerous cases of murder, kidnapping, and land grabbing lodged against him. The Barh region has remained notorious for dreaded caste wars particularly between two Forward Castes of Bihar, the Bhumihars and Rajputs. In these wars he emerged as a saviour of his community. According to locals, people in this region refrain from going outside during night due to fear of being kidnapped or murdered. The fortune of Singh turned when Nitish Kumar, decided to nominate him as his candidate on the ticket of Janata Dal (United) from the Mokama constituency. It was considered as paradoxical by a section of media that Kumar who vowed to end 'criminalisation of politics' was backing such a person against whom charges of serious cognisable offences were lodged. But, amidst criticism and counter statements Singh managed to win from Mokama seat due to support of his castemen as well as the wave of Nitish Kumar. Singh has been three times MLA from Mokama.

Singh's activities dragged the nation's attention when in 2007 he was reported to have two journalists from NDTV 24x7 and ANI News as hostages in his official bungalow. It was reported that they had been there to interview Singh upon his involvement in murder and molestation of a woman called Reshma Khatoon whose body was recovered in a sack near the capital. The political protection given to Singh and another gangster named Sunil Pandey by the ruling government was aimed at mobilisation of Bhumihar caste. According to the locals, Singh who was known as Chhote Sarkar in Mokama is a role model of Bhumihars, who consistently opposed Lalu Yadav's government. Thus, political parties opposing Yadav used him as a tool to mobilise Bhumihar voters.

Singh was also allegedly involved in kidnapping of four youths, who as per allegations were responsible for eve-teasing of a girl, latter being sister of one of Singh's men. As per news reports, the four youths were kidnapped and assaulted allegedly by the goons of Singh and one of them named Puttus Yadav was killed brutally.

Arrest
Singh was arrested in 2015, in connection with a kidnapping and murder case. While he was being taken to Secretariat police station in Patna, he started giving interview to media. In the meantime, city SP of Patna Chandan Kushwaha arrived and he asked Singh to avoid talking to media, however, Singh continued to do so. In response to this, Kushwaha dragged him and tried to take him inside the police station forcefully. Singh also became adamant and confronted him. As a result of this both men were reported pushing and shoving each other in front of media and police force. After arrival of Senior Superintendent of Police Vikash Vaibhav, the situation was controlled.

Electoral history
Note: He was disqualified in July 2022 due to conviction