NEW DELHI: Barely days before Bihar goes to polls, the political landscape has been jolted after the sensational killing of Dular Chand Yadav in Mokama. According to police and political sources, Dular Chand — a seasoned grassroots mobiliser and former CPI cadre who later aligned with mainstream parties — was allegedly shot dead on Friday by supporters linked to JDU candidate and controversial strongman Anant Singh.
The incident has sent shockwaves through Bihar’s political corridors, not merely because of the brutality involved, but due to the timing and the identity of those in the crosshairs. Anant Singh, often described as a “self-styled terror king” and regarded as an influential face of the Bhumihar community, is the Janata Dal (United) nominee backed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. His candidature itself was an acknowledgment of his local clout — but the killing has ignited a fierce debate over the return of “bahubali politics” in the state.
Dular Chand Yadav was not in the electoral fray this time. However, he was actively campaigning for Jan Suraj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi. Both Dular Chand and Priyadarshi, insiders said, were initially lobbying for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ticket.
After being denied, the duo broke ranks and Piyush decided to contest on jansura j ticket distancing themselves from both major formations — NDA and the RJD-Congress Grand Alliance. On the other hand RJD has fielded Veena Devi, the wife of another history sheeter Surajbhan an ex MP Loksabha twice. Veena Devi was also ex Loksabha MP twice.
What was expected to be a local turf battle has now snowballed into a statewide political storm. A confidential BJP-RSS internal assessment reportedly indicates apprehension that the killing may trigger a consolidation of Yadav and Most Backward Class (MBC) strong muslin voters consolidation against the ruling NDA.
Dular Chand, belonging to an prominent OBC Yadav community, enjoyed strong grassroots support. His assassination, analysts say, risks alienating key segments of voters who already hold mixed perceptions of the NDA’s candidate selections.
The incident has revived concerns around electoral violence in Bihar, where the shadows of muscle power and caste rivalry have long influenced ballot battles.
For Nitish Kumar, who built much of his legacy on governance and law-and-order reforms, the episode poses a direct credibility challenge just as he pitches for continuity.
Both the JDU and BJP are struggling to contain the fallout, while the opposition is likely to weaponize the incident to reinforce its narrative of NDA’s weakening grip over law and order. As Bihar’s political heat rises, the Mokama killing has ensured that issues of crime, caste and power will dominate the final stretch of this high-stakes election.
[Writer is Senior Journalist and Political Commentator]
