BJP MLA Raju Singh’s Conviction Blows The Lid Off The Criminalisation Of Politics In Bihar

Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur of Bihar, Raju Singh is likely to lose his Assembly membership after being convicted to four years in prison in a case of culpable homicide. This conviction has once again lifted the lid off the criminalisation of politics in Bihar and brought to centrestage the legacy of public representatives being convicted for heinous crimes.

In 2018, Raju had resorted to celebratory firing at a New Year's party in Delhi in which a woman architect, Archana Gupta, was shot and later died while being treated. On July 4, the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court convicted Raju in the case.

Bihar's Legacy Of Convicted Politicians

Several prominent Bihar politicians have been forced out of electoral politics due to court convictions. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav lost his Lok Sabha membership after being convicted in the fodder scam and is currently ineligible to contest elections. Similarly, former MPs Prabhunath Singh of RJD and Jagdish Sharma, who was with various parties including Janata Dal (United) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), were also disqualified after being convicted by the courts.

Similarly, former MP Suraj Bhan Singh of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) was also disqualified from contesting elections after being convicted in a murder case. Former MLA Anand Mohan of now defunct Bihar People’s Party (BPP) and Janata Dal was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of the then District Magistrate of Gopalganj, G Krishnaiah. This kept him away from the electoral fray for a long time.

In some political cases, politicians have received significant relief from higher courts. Raj Ballabh Yadav of RJD was disqualified from contesting elections for a long time after being convicted in a rape case but later became eligible again after being acquitted by the court. Similarly, Mishrilal Yadav, the BJP MLA from Alinagar, lost his membership in 2024 but was reinstated after his acquittal.

No Party Without Criminal Representatives

The Bihar Assembly has a long history of MLAs losing their membership due to convictions. In 2024, Manoj Manzil, the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) MLA from Agiaon, lost his seat after being convicted in a murder case. Similarly, former RJD MLA Anil Kumar Sahni was removed from the House after being found guilty in a fraud case.

Several other prominent leaders have also been accused of corruption and serious crimes from time to time. Former RJD leader Mohammad Ilyas Hussain was disqualified after being convicted in a major scam. In 2022, JDU’s Mokama strongman Anant Singh's membership was terminated under the Arms Act, but he was later acquitted.

Political observers say that during elections, all political parties promise the public that they will not give tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds. However, when the list of MPs and MLAs is released, these claims are proven completely false. The number of public representatives in Bihar accused of murder, rape, fraud and major scams reflects this harsh reality.

"After the BJP MLA was sentenced, senior leaders of BJP and JDU have maintained complete silence. They always used to blame the RJD but today the membership of most of the MLAs of the ruling party is being lost," said the RJD spokesperson after Raju’s conviction.

What Happens To Raju Singh Next

Political commentator Arun Pandey explained that under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any MP or MLA sentenced to two years or more in prison immediately loses their membership. Furthermore, such leaders cannot contest elections for the next six years after the completion of their sentence. This legal provision was created with the aim of keeping politics clean of criminalisation.

"Raju Singh's four-year imprisonment is proof that under the law, guilty public representatives are bound to lose their membership. The increasing criminalisation of politics is nothing new, and no party is untouched by this," he said.

According to Rajiv Kumar, a representative of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the number of tainted public representatives in Bihar is alarming. “Of the 243 MLAs who won the 2025 elections, 42 per cent, or 102 of them, are facing serious criminal cases. Although the figures have decreased slightly compared to the previous election, the affidavits of the leaders make shocking revelations,” he said.

Muscle Power Over Pious Pronouncements

A look at the records of the last four Assembly elections clearly demonstrates the extent of criminalisation of politics in the state. In 2010, 76 MLAs with serious criminal cases won. This number increased to 98 in 2015 and 123 in 2020. In 2025, this number was 102. Observers say that all the parties claim to field leaders with a clean image during elections but while distributing tickets, they prioritise muscle power.

Of the 202 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MLAs who won in Bihar, 43 of the 89 BJP MLAs and 23 of the 85 JDU MLAs face serious charges. Furthermore, 10 of the 19 MLAs of Chirag Paswan's LJP (Ram Vilas) also face various serious cases.

The opposition parties are also not far behind. Of the 25 RJD MLAs, 14 have serious cases filed against them. Three of the six Congress MLAs, four of the five All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLAs, two out of three Left and Rashtriya Lok Morcha MLAs also have serious cases pending in court. In the current Assembly, six MLAs from the ruling coalition face serious charges, including murder. Three of these are from the BJP and three from the JDU.

The JDU has given a guarded response on Raju’s conviction. "It is absolutely inappropriate to comment politically on any judicial decision delivered by the court. The court's decision is supreme and final. Not only the MLAs, but even ordinary citizens are also punished," said party spokesperson Nihora Yadav.

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