Tension continues to grip Mokama in Bihar after the killing of Dularchand Yadav, a Jan Suraaj worker, with rival candidates trading accusations over who was responsible. The clash has laid bare the old muscle politics that still shape elections in the region.

Jan Suraaj’s Dularchand Yadav was killed on Thursday when convoys of JD(U) candidate Anant Singh and Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi came face to face near the Ghoswari ford area. The two sides were out campaigning on a narrow road where only one convoy could pass at a time. What began as a standoff soon turned violent.

Neeraj Yadav, Dularchand’s grandson who was with him, told Newslaundry, “Both convoys met head-on. There was chaos, and some people dragged my grandfather away. They shot him in the leg, then beat him, and when he still didn’t die, they ran a vehicle over him.”

Three vehicles remain at the scene: one submerged in water, two with shattered windows parked on the road.

Local authorities initially issued unclear statements. Later, the Patna administration confirmed on X that a clash had broken out between supporters of two candidates in Mokama, and that Dularchand Yadav, “an accused in several past criminal cases,” was found dead “under suspicious circumstances.” A case was registered, they said, and raids were being conducted.

After protests by the family and local residents, police on Friday registered a murder case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against four people, including JD(U)’s Anant Singh.

The body was taken for post-mortem on Friday morning. While the administration wanted the autopsy conducted at Patna’s PMCH hospital, the family refused; it was later carried out at Baadh hospital in Mokama.

Speaking to the media, Anant Singh claimed Dularchand had attacked first and alleged that former MP Surajbhan Singh was behind the clash. Surajbhan’s wife, Veena Devi, who is contesting from Mokama this time, dismissed the accusation. “Anant Singh himself was present when the incident took place, and now he is blaming others,” she said.

As Dularchand’s body was taken through nearby villages, angry residents blocked roads and raised slogans, demanding justice. The situation remains tense.

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