Bihar polls: 'Chhote Sarkar' vs 'Bhumihar Don', after 20 years of peace, Dularchand Yadav's killing drags Mokama back into Baahubali politics

The guns that once echoed across Mokama, a town infamous for election-time bloodshed in the late 1980s and 1990s, had fallen silent for nearly two decades. But that uneasy peace was shattered on Thursday with the brutal killing of Dularchand Yadav, a local strongman whose death has reignited old caste and political rivalries in this volatile constituency of poll-bound Bihar.

Who Was Dularchand Yadav and Why Was He Targeted?

Dularchand Yadav, 76, was a powerful figure in Mokama’s taal (riverine) belt, a region historically dominated by political dons. Once a feared name in the underworld, Dularchand had several cases of murder, extortion, and kidnapping registered against him. He had contested the 1990 assembly election on a Lok Dal ticket but lost narrowly to Dilip Singh, a fellow strongman who was later succeeded by his younger brother, Anant Singh, known locally as Chhote Sarkar.

On Thursday, Dularchand was attending a Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) campaign when a violent clash broke out between rival groups. He was first shot and then run over by an SUV. His autopsy revealed bullet wounds, multiple rib fractures, and internal organ injuries. His family has accused Anant Singh, his nephews Ranvir and Karmveer, and several others of orchestrating the attack.

Anant Singh vs Surajbhan Singh: The Battle for Bhumihar Supremacy

Mokama’s politics has long been shaped by its notorious baahubalis (musclemen). Anant Singh of the JD(U) and Surajbhan Singh, a former LJP MP, represent two competing poles of Bhumihar power. Surajbhan, once convicted in the Brij Bihari murder case (and later acquitted), defeated Dilip Singh in the 2000 assembly election and has since wielded significant influence in the region.

Now, his wife Veena Devi is contesting on an RJD ticket against Anant Singh. The re-entry of the Singh family into electoral rivalry has further split the Bhumihar vote, a key factor that could determine the outcome of the Mokama seat.

Anant Singh, meanwhile, has accused Surajbhan of masterminding Dularchand’s killing, a charge Surajbhan has dismissed. Veena Devi even visited the hospital during Dularchand’s post-mortem, demanding a judicial probe.

The Caste Chessboard of Mokama

Caste remains the invisible hand guiding every political move in Mokama. Dularchand, a Yadav, had long posed a challenge to the Singh brothers, who belong to the upper-caste Bhumihar community. The constituency’s social arithmetic, roughly 65,000 Bhumihars, 45,000 Dhanuks, and 40,000 Yadavs, makes it a volatile battleground.

This time, Priyadarshi, a Dhanuk and JSP candidate, has emerged as a formidable contender. Supported by Dularchand before his death, Priyadarshi is banking on the combined strength of the Yadav-Dhanuk vote. His alliance with Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has created ripples in Mokama’s political landscape, especially since RJD had denied him a ticket in favour of Veena Devi.

Political Blame Game Erupts Over the Killing

The murder has triggered a political storm. Dularchand’s grandson directly accused Anant Singh and his associates, while JSP candidate Priyadarshi alleged that the killing was meant to “send a warning to backward castes”.

Tejashwi Yadav, the INDIA bloc’s CM face, condemned the incident, calling it a “complete failure of law and order under Nitish Kumar’s government.” The JD(U), however, quickly distanced itself, issuing a statement that “all culprits, irrespective of power or position, must face strict punishment.”

What Lies Ahead for ‘Chhote Sarkar’?

With his name mired in controversy and caste equations turning unfavourable, Anant Singh finds himself on the back foot. Surajbhan’s influence threatens to eat into his core Bhumihar vote bank, while Yadavs and Dhanuks seem to be consolidating behind Priyadarshi.

Observers believe Anant’s only hope lies in a last-minute consolidation of upper-caste votes, if Bhumihars, wary of a JSP rise, rally around him viewing Veena Devi as a vote katua (vote divider).

For Mokama, however, the larger tragedy is that old fault lines, of caste, crime, and political dominance, have resurfaced after two decades of uneasy peace. The town once again finds itself on the edge, where democracy and dabang-giri (muscle politics) collide in deadly fashion.

Inputs from TOI