After Nitish Kumar met Neeraj Kumar on Thursday, Singh remarked that the JD(U) chief “goes wherever they take him”.
The campaign also witnessed personal attacks. When Neeraj Kumar was hospitalised three days before polling, Singh accused him of “nautanki”, or theatrics.
Rivalry dates back to 2015
The feud between the two leaders dates back to the 2015 Mokama Assembly election, when Anant Singh contested as an Independent and defeated Neeraj Kumar, then the JD(U) candidate.
Their differences have resurfaced repeatedly since then. Attempts by party leaders to broker peace ahead of the Council elections reportedly failed.
Tensions spilled over into polling on Friday, when supporters of Anuj Singh and Neeraj Kumar clashed in Mokama. Police detained several people. Chhotu Singh, a close aide of Anant Singh, was also detained in Patna for allegedly disrupting peace.
“These tactics won’t work. My people have been detained at several police stations. This will only benefit us. People’s mandate is with Anuj Singh. People are the real masters and our victory is certain,” Anant Singh said.
Neeraj Kumar, meanwhile, expressed confidence in winning as the NDA candidate.
The Patna Graduates constituency recorded a provisional turnout of 36.19 per cent, according to the Chief Electoral Officer’s office.
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