A violent clash at a village crossing in Mokama, Bihar, on Thursday afternoon left 75-year-old Dularchand Yadav dead and over a dozen injured. The incident occurred when convoys of Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi and JD(U) candidate Anant Singh met near Basawan Chak in Taratar village. Stone-pelting quickly escalated to gunfire, and Dularchand was shot and then run over by a vehicle. The Election Commission has demanded a report from the Bihar DGP, and police have registered four FIRs, including one against Anant Singh by Dularchand's family. This violent episode highlights Mokama's long history of intertwining crime, politics, and caste dominance. Known as the 'Capital of Bhumihars', the constituency has rarely elected representatives without criminal backgrounds. Polling is scheduled for November 6, and the clash underscores the challenges facing efforts to cleanse politics in this volatile region.
Legacy of Crime and Political Rivalries in Mokama
Mokama has been dominated by the Bhumihar community since 1952, rarely electing anyone outside this caste or without a criminal record. Dularchand Yadav, a rare non-Bhumihar who rose through the ranks, had 11 criminal cases by 2010, including charges of murder, kidnapping, extortion, and firearm violations. His criminal history dates back to 1991, when he was named in the murder of Congress worker Sitaram Singh alongside Anant Singh's brother and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who were later cleared. Dularchand maintained ties with Anant Singh, whose family has held the Mokama seat since 2005 under various party banners. Anant Singh himself has over 50 charges since 1979 and was convicted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in 2022, receiving a 10-year sentence before being acquitted by the Patna High Court in 2024.
Recent Tensions and the Clash
Tensions between Dularchand and Anant Singh escalated after Dularchand switched loyalty to Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party. His campaigning for Jan Suraaj candidate Priyadarshi, a 30-year-old from the EBC community, and public criticism of Anant Singh worsened relations. Meanwhile, another rivalry defines Mokama politics: that between Anant Singh and Surajbhan Singh, a Bhumihar with 26 criminal cases who remains barred from contesting elections. Surajbhan's wife Veena Devi is the RJD candidate against Anant Singh. Jan Suraaj has campaigned on fighting criminality in politics, with Priyadarshi focusing on education, employment, and healthcare. He has called Mokama an example of Bihar's enduring lawlessness. The violent clash raises questions about whether such promises can overcome entrenched criminal politics.
Source: Link