Mokama bypoll: With JD(U), RJD back together, bahubali Anant Singh’s bastion set to elect wife   

And with JD(U) now coming together with RJD in a new Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance, the result of the bypoll is a fait accompli. In fact, Neelam Devi said as much, during a recent poll campaign: “It’s a one-sided battle. Koi takkar me nahi hai (I don’t face any challenge here).”

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is not likely to campaign in Mokama. But JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh a.k.a. Lalan Singh, who recently campaigned in Mokama for Neelam Devi, reiterated: “There is no contest. I came anyway as a routine.”

That’s a seal of approval hard to refute, considering Lalan and Anant were arch rivals not too long ago, with Neelam having contested, albeit unsuccessfully, against Lalan from the Munger Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

But there could be a twist in the tale, with the BJP contesting the seat on its own for the first time. In all previous polls, BJP had left Mokama to its allies.

BJP has fielded Sonam Devi, wife of another Mokama strongman Nalini Ranjan Singh a.k.a. Lalan Singh (not to be confused with the JD(U) national president). Former MP Suraj Bhan has been campaigning for her, along with all top BJP leaders, including Sushil Kumar Modi, Sanjay Jaiswal and Nityanand Rai.

Kumar Krishna, a Mokama resident, said: “We’re seeing the lotus symbol in polls here for the first time. This has created a lot of curiosity and excitement, though the social combination looks loaded in favour of the Grand Alliance candidate Neelam Devi.”

Mokama is dominated by upper caste Bhumihar voters, closely followed by EBC Dhanuk and OBC Yadav voters. With both candidates belonging to the Bhumihar caste, their votes could be divided. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Shambhu Sharan Patel, a Dhanuk, has been campaigning rigorously to woo his caste’s voters, who are generally believed to support Nitish Kumar. Mokama also has a sizable Paswan (SC) population, a majority of whom could go with the BJP.

On the campaign trail, Sonam Devi is talking about PM Modi’s achievements. “We are talking about development,” she said. BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal said: “People have to decide between development and misrule. Mokama needs a fresh lease of life.”

Meanwhile, RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar said: “Whether it is Gopalganj or Mokama, we have a clear edge. With Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav united, there is no competition on both seats.”

Anant Singh’s elder brother Dalip Singh had first wrested the Mokama seat from his mentor and Congress leader Shyam Sunder Singh “Dheeraj” in 1990, and retained it till 2000. Dalip lost to Suraj Bhan in 2000. But since 2005, it has been Anant Singh all the way.