Patna, Sep 29 (IANS) :The ongoing dispute between JD(U) MLA Anant Singh and party MLC Neeraj Kumar has reached the party’s top leadership, with JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha and Minister Shrawon Kumar meeting former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday.
After the meeting, both leaders said Nitish Kumar had been apprised of the details of the dispute.
They said the party would make a decision on the matter and share further details later, while maintaining that the immediate priority was to focus on the upcoming election.
The dispute has intensified after Anant Singh announced his support for Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Kumar Singh in the Patna Graduates constituency election.
Anant Singh has maintained that his differences with Neeraj Kumar are personal and do not represent any dispute within the JD(U).
He has also said he would campaign extensively for Anuj Kumar Singh and work to defeat Neeraj Kumar.
On Monday, Anant Singh held a press conference with Anuj Kumar Singh at his residence in Patna and reiterated his support for the Jan Suraaj candidate.
“I have never lost an election to date. Anuj Singh will also win. For me, the public is God; they will vote for us. Patna will be packed during Anuj Singh’s nomination filing—we have made massive preparations,” he said.
During the press conference, Anant Singh levelled several allegations against Neeraj Kumar.
He alleged that an AK-47 had been planted at his residence in the past and claimed that this had resulted in his arrest and imprisonment.
He further alleged that Neeraj Kumar had repeatedly worked to ensure his defeat in elections and claimed that former JD(U) leader R.C.P. Singh had helped Neeraj Kumar in the matter.
These allegations were made by Anant Singh and have not been independently established.
Anant Singh also said he was determined to defeat Neeraj Kumar in the upcoming election and claimed he would work to ensure that Neeraj Kumar lost his security deposit.
The exchange has added to the political friction between the two leaders ahead of the Patna Graduates constituency election.
Neeraj Kumar, the sitting MLC from the Patna Graduates constituency, is preparing to contest the election again, while Anant Singh has publicly thrown his support behind Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Kumar Singh.
The JD(U) leadership’s next step will determine how the party addresses the dispute between the two leaders as the election campaign gathers momentum.
