If change is the only constant in politics, there is no parallel to Nitish Kumar in this acumen. Love it or hate it, Kumar’s astute sense of his own political ground, or the lack thereof, as well as that of his allies and opponents, is what has allowed him to remain in power for so long. But this acumen comes with a cost, though it may not rattle Nitish Kumar.

Friends have become foes and the baggage that Nitish Kumar left behind as he quit the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 2017 to return to the NDA fold has come back to haunt him. Constant attacks by the BJP for ignoring the RJD’s alleged criminal antecedents have left Nitish Kumar with a bitter aftertaste. Travesties like the appointment of a Law minister on a day he was to allegedly surrender in court and of a Food minister accused in a rice ‘scam’ haven’t helped Nitish fight the perception battle either.

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As he navigates from one crisis to another, Bahubalis, or strongmen, from Bihar are back in the news for all the wrong reasons. 

Here’s a look at who they are and why they are suddenly in the spotlight:

Anant Singh

After returning to power as CM of the Mahagathbandhan, Nitish Kumar had his first brush with controversy following the appointment of RJD leader Kartikeya Singh as the Law minister of the state. Soon after Singh was allocated the portfolio, it was alleged that he is an accused in a kidnapping case, that there is a warrant issued in his name, and was supposed to surrender in a Bihar court on the day he took oath as a minister. Though the minister in question denied the allegations and the chief minister said he had no knowledge of the case, the BJP was quick to pounce on the issue and alleged that Singh was the right-hand man of Anant Singh.

Anant Singh, the sitting MLA from Mokama who has won the assembly constituency thrice, is accused in as many as 38 serious criminal cases. Currently serving time in prison, Singh is a former JD(U) leader who joined the RJD and contested elections in 2020 and won. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi has targeted Nitish for lying about his ignorance of Kartikeya Singh’s proximity to Anant Singh and that he faced arrest in a kidnapping case. “How could the CM not know? When a Chief Minister assigns a portfolio to a minister, a thorough background check is conducted, and there is a police verification to check if he has any cases against him and what cases he or she is facing. Nitish himself hails from the Barh-Mokama region (Anant Singh’s pocket borough). Would he not know?”  

Anand Mohan

Another strongman known for his criminal influence in Bihar, Anand Mohan, currently housed in Saharsa jail following his conviction in the murder of then Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah, is also in the news after Nitish Kumar’s return to power in alliance with the RJD. A photograph that shows the minister with his wife and son went viral on social media, leading to questions on the government over police laxity and allegations of the return of ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar.

Reports suggest that on August 12, Anand Mohan was brought to Patna where he was to be produced before a civil court in connection with a case against him. It has been alleged that on his way back, Anand Mohan took a detour to his Patliputra Colony residence where he met his wife, former MP Lovely Anand, and son, RJD MLA Chetan Anand along with his supporters. The BJP has now cornered the government and sought answers from the Chief Minister as to how a convict who was brought to Patna to appear in court managed to reach his residence and meet his family and supporters. 

Rajan Tiwari

A former MLA from Govindganj assembly seat in Bihar’s East Champaran district, and a strongman with strong connections across UP and Bihar, Rajan Tiwari was arrested by the UP police on August 19 from Bihar’s Raxaul while he was trying to escape the country through the India-Nepal border. Born in Gorakhpur, Rajan Tiwari was first elected as MLA in the year 2000 from Govindganj constituency in Motihari. He had a non-bailable warrant issued against him in 2005 and carried a bounty of Rs 25,000 on his head.

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Tiwari’s criminal background can be traced back to 1998 when he allegedly opened fire at police personnel in UP’s Gorakhpur. As per police records, Tiwari had not appeared in court since 2005 despite having a non-bailable warrant and charges under Gangster Act since 1998. He was recently named in the list of 61 most dreaded mafias of UP and Bihar, shared by the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh. Tiwari became involved in criminal activities since his college days when he joined dreaded gangster Shri Prakash Shukla in the mid-1990s and became a household name after his alleged involvement in an attack on UP MLA Virendra Pratap Shahi. However, he was later cleared by the court in this matter.

Sunil Pandey     

On August 19, the Mirzapur Police arrested Bihar strongman and former MLA Narendra alias Sunil Pandey from Vindhayachal. The arrest was made in a case of providing shelter to the accused in an incident of shooting on August 14 at the Ashtabhuja temple in Mirzapur where Pandey was visiting.

Kanhaiya Prasad, 75, was killed following an altercation between the visitors at the temple. It has been alleged that the accused shot at Kanhaiya and fled. While six accused have already been arrested, while one accused is still absconding. While Sunil Pandey has denied any involvement in the case, police claim that they have information that the accused had used the former MLA’s car to flee from the crime scene. An investigation is underway, police said.