Bihar: Ex-cons, wives of jailed leaders battle for LS seats today

Patna: Two criminal-turned-politicians, called ‘bahubalis’ in local parlance, and wives of two jailed leaders will contest today in the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar. [caption id=“attachment_1518591” align=“alignleft” width=“300”]  Rabri Devi- AFP[/caption] Six Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar - Valmiki Nagar, East and West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan and Vaishali - will vote today. The four candidates are Satish Chandra Dubey of the BJP from Valmiki Nagar, Rama Kishore Singh of Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and independent candidate Anu Shukla from Vaishali, and Hena Shahab of the Rashtriya Janata Dal from Siwan. In 2009, Hena Shahab, wife of jailed former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, was defeated in Siwan, while Anu Shukla’s jailed husband Munna Shukla was also defeated in Vaishali. Dubey is facing a dozens of criminal cases, including those of attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion and several under the Arms Act, according to the affidavit filed by him before the Election Commission. Dubey, a Brahmin, is hopeful of getting the support of the upper castes as well as the backward classes and Dalits. A confidential report of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) - the paramilitary force that patrols the Nepal border - has now surfaced that says Dubey is part of a syndicate that controls the entire smuggling of ganja and charas in his constituency. LJP candidate Rama Kishore Singh also faces charges of kidnapping, murder and extortion. Rama Kishore Singh is contesting against RJD candidate and sitting MP Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, a former union minister who is not only popular but also has a clean image. However, Anu Shukla may make things difficult for him, as the powerful Bhumihar caste is likely to support her, leaders say. The Rajputs are said to be divided between Rama Kishore Singh and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Anu’s husband Munna Shukla is serving a sentence in the Bhagalpur Central Jail for the murder of former Bihar minister Brij Bihari Prasad. Hena’s husband Shahabuddin, who was convicted in several criminal cases, has been in jail for more than eight years now and is currently in the Gaya Central jail. Both Munna and Shahabuddin were shifted from other jails following complaints that they were trying to influence the polls from behind the bars. IANS