Bihar Elections 2025: ‘Mrs Bahubalis’ Step In as Powerful Husbands Fall Silent (AI)
Bihar Elections 2025: In Bihar’s politics, the influence of bahubalis is nothing new. What’s changing now is their way of staying relevant. Many of these men, accused or convicted in serious criminal cases, are now fielding their wives as political successors. As a result, a new wave of women—often homemakers until recently—have stepped into the electoral spotlight, carrying forward their husbands’ political legacies. From Anita to Aruna, Vibha, Purnima, and Neetu—these “Mrs. Bahubalis” have emerged as visible faces of power born out of compulsion and circumstance.
Anita Kumari is preparing to contest from the Warisaliganj assembly constituency. This is her second election. Earlier in 2024, she had fought against JDU MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, from the Munger Lok Sabha seat but lost. Now she is again in the fray from the Warisleiganj seat in the Nawada district. Anita has no political background. She used to do private jobs in Delhi. She is identified as the wife of Bahubali Ashok Mahato. After coming out of jail after 17 years in December 2023, Ashok Mahato decided to meet RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and enter politics. But he could not contest elections due to the punishment in the Nawada jailbreak case. In such a situation, he married Anita and entered her into the electoral fray.
BJP MLA Aruna Devi’s political journey began 25 years ago under similar circumstances. Her husband, Akhilesh Singh, was facing multiple criminal cases and couldn’t contest. What started as a reluctant step into politics has turned into a long career—she has been elected four times and remains an influential figure in Warisaliganj.
Nawada's current RJD MLA Vibha Devi, also entered politics due to the compulsion of her husband, Rajballabh Yadav. In 2018, Rajballabh was convicted in the POCSO Act case and expelled from the party. Then he made his wife a candidate. Vibha Devi was elected MLA from RJD in the 2020 elections.
The entry of Purnima Yadav, wife of former Nawada MLA Kaushal Yadav, into politics was part of the family strategy. Kaushal Yadav continued to contest elections from Govindpur, while in 2005 he fielded his wife from the Nawada seat. Since then Purnima has been continuously active in politics and both husband and wife have been elected several times.
The political journey of Hisua's Congress MLA Neetu Kumari is also a result of circumstances. Her father-in-law Aditya Singh and husband, Suman Singh were convicted in the murder case. After this, Neetu entered the field to handle the political legacy of the family. She lost in 2010 and 2015, but won from Congress in 2020.
From Neetu to VVibha toAruna to Anita—Bihar’s political scene is seeing a steady rise of “Mrs. Bahubalis.” What began as a stopgap solution for powerful but legally barred husbands has now turned into a parallel force of women who, willingly or not, are reshaping the narrative of power and politics in the state.
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