A controversy has erupted in Bihar after JD(U) MLA Anant Singh claimed he had “eliminated nine people” to support former chief minister Nitish Kumar during the early phase of his political career. The statement, made to reporters, quickly drew sharp reactions.
The episode comes ahead of elections on October 23 for eight vacant seats in the Bihar Legislative Council. Singh, a senior JD(U) leader and MLA from Mokama in Patna district, is said to be upset after the party allotted a seat to his political rival Neeraj Kumar.
A video clip of Singh’s remarks spread rapidly on social media, intensifying the political fallout. JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan distanced the party from the comment, saying it had no connection with the party and asserting that Nitish Kumar has a clean political record and does not associate with violence.
Following criticism from within the party, Singh withdrew his earlier claim. He said he meant that nine of his supporters were killed during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s rule, and that his words were misunderstood and misrepresented by the media and opposition parties.
The RJD, meanwhile, seized on the controversy, with its spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav alleging that the remark exposed links between Nitish Kumar’s rise and criminal elements, even if Singh later backtracked.
