Janata Dal (United) MLA Anant Singh of Mokama on Saturday, 3 October 2026, launched a nearly 200-km-long Jan Ashirwad Yatra across parts of Bihar in open support of Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh in the Patna Graduates' constituency — a direct challenge to his own party's official nominee ahead of the Bihar Legislative Council elections.

The Yatra and Its Route

The roadshow began from Anant Singh's residence in Patna and proceeded through Bakhtiyarpur, Harnaut, and Bihar Sharif, before moving on to Pawapuri, Ghosrawan, Warsaliganj, and several other towns, culminating in Nawada. The itinerary also included garlanding ceremonies at Warsaliganj, the statue of B.R. Ambedkar in Narhat, and the Jayaprakash Narayan Ashram in Hisua.

Bhojpuri singer-actor Gunjan Singh accompanied Anant Singh during the journey. At multiple stops, party workers and supporters lined the route, raising slogans such as 'Anant Singh Zindabad' and 'Chhote Sarkar Zindabad', with crowds taking selfies with the MLA.

What Anant Singh Said

Before departing from Patna, Anant Singh framed the yatra in the language of democratic appeal. 'The public is God; they are the masters. I have set out to seek their blessings for Anuj. I will travel as far as Nawada,' he said.

When asked whether he would reconsider his stance given the JD(U)'s official position, he ruled out any retreat. Without directly naming JD(U) nominee Neeraj Kumar, Singh said: 'Everyone knows what he has done for me' — an oblique but pointed remark that signals a personal grievance driving his defiance.

The Intra-Party Fault Line

The yatra comes as a significant show of open dissent within JD(U). The party has fielded Neeraj Kumar as its official candidate from the Patna Graduates' constituency, yet one of its sitting MLAs is actively canvassing for the rival Jan Suraaj ticket. The JD(U) has said the matter is being examined internally — a cautious response that stops short of disciplinary action for now.

Notably, this is not the first signal of Anant Singh's alignment with Anuj Singh: he had accompanied the candidate during his nomination filing, making his public backing unambiguous well before the yatra began.

Who Is Anuj Singh

Anuj Singh, a resident of Nawada's New Area locality, holds a PhD in Resource Geography from Magadh University, obtained in 2011. He studied at Modern English School, Ganauri Ramkali Teachers' Training College, and Triveni B.Ed. College. According to details cited in reports about his candidature, he declared assets of around ₹4.79 crore in his 2026 election affidavit. He was previously associated with the Congress before joining Jan Suraaj.

Wider Context

The episode underscores the pressure that Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj is beginning to exert on established Bihar political equations, drawing supporters — and in this case, an active MLA — away from coalition partners. For JD(U), managing the optics of a sitting legislator openly backing an opponent without immediate punitive action will be closely watched. The Bihar Legislative Council elections are expected to sharpen these factional tensions further in the weeks ahead.