Patna (Bihar) [India], October 17 : A major political controversy has erupted in Bihar following reported remarks by Janata Dal (United) MLA Anant Singh claiming that he had "got nine people murdered," triggering a sharp offensive from the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), even as the MLA and his party asserted that the statement stands refuted.
Breaking his silence over the controversy, Anant Singh briefly dismissed the claims, stating, "...The statement has already been refuted."
Addressing the brewing row, JD(U) Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha maintained that the party had taken note of the matter while downplaying its electoral impact.
"He has made a statement followed by a clarification. The state unit of the party is aware of the entire situation and has taken note of all these developments. Our candidates in Patna will win by a large margin; the party is well aware of the matter," Jha told reporters.
Defending Nitish Kumar, senior JD(U) leader Rajeev Ranjan Prasad stated that the former Bihar Chief Minister's political career has been rooted in an uncompromising stance against the criminal-politician nexus.
"In his 50 years of public life, former Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar has demonstrated a level of resolve, taking tough decisions, that few politicians in this country ever achieve. He has always maintained an uncompromising stance regarding integrity in public life and the nexus between politics and crime; his life is, indisputably, a role model. As for what others might say or the claims they make, the party neither takes note of them nor deems it appropriate to respond... Nitish Kumar has never, throughout his entire life, given any space to negative politics," Prasad told ANI.
Meanwhile, the opposition RJD launched a fierce attack on the JD(U) chief, with party leader Shakti Singh Yadav alleging that the remark amounted to an admission of political crimes.
"Where did this question arise from? Neeraj Kumar pointed out that a large number of murders had taken place, citing killings of individuals from the Rajput and Bhumihar communities in various villages, and labelled Anant Singh a notorious criminal," Yadav told ANI.
Targeting the former Chief Minister, the RJD leader added, "Now, the question arises: Anant Singh has effectively confessed to nine murders, murders that occurred while Nitish Kumar was Chief Minister, and, by implication, for the sake of Nitish Kumar. Even if Anant Singh later retracted or altered his statement—likely due to pressure from his party at both the central and state levels—does it not remain a fact that Nitish Kumar built his power in Bihar by aligning himself with notorious criminal gangs from across the state—whether from Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, or the Mokama region? Who were these notorious gang members? They were all with him."
The sharp political sparring comes amid an active election season in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its candidates for the 2026 Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) graduate and teacher constituency elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on October 13.
For Bihar, the BJP has fielded Naval Kishore Yadav from the Patna Teachers constituency, NK Yadav from Kosi Graduates, Sarvesh Kumar from Darbhanga Graduates, and Narendra Prasad Singh from the Tirhut Teachers constituency.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the biennial elections for eight seats of the Bihar Legislative Council for October 23, with counting slated for October 27. The four Graduates' constituencies include Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Kosi, while the four Teachers' constituencies comprise Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Saran. The tenures of the sitting members across these eight constituencies will expire on November 16.