NDA’s worker conference turns into battlefield in Bihar

Chaos and uproar were seen during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) worker’s conference in Jamui district Bihar on Saturday (September 13, 2025) when supporters of Cabinet Minister Sumit Kumar Singh and former MLC Sanjay Prasad clashed with each other.

The incident took place in Chakai Assembly seat which is presently represented by Mr. Singh, who is an independent MLA supporting the government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In the 2020 Assembly election, Mr. Singh as an independent candidate had defeated Mr. Prasad who was the JD(U) candidate. It all started when both were sitting on the stage and Mr. Prasad raised objection for his presence on the stage.

Then Mr. Singh stood up from his chair and started shouting at him. Workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) led by Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) were present.

Both leaders of the ruling party got engaged in a heated argument, the supporters climbed on the stage and clashed with each other.

As per party sources, the idea was to show the strength of the alliance to the public by bringing the opposing candidates on one platform, however the experiment backfired.

Supporters of both clashed with each other. Union Minister Ramnath Thakur, senior JD(U) leader Shyam Rajak and other MLAs who had come to attend the conference left without addressing the gathering. The stage turned into a battlefield in no time and the police had a tough time controlling the situation.

In the 2020 Assembly election, Mr. Prasad who had been MLC twice came in third place whereas Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Savitri Devi was in second position whereas united LJP candidate Sanjay Mandal was in fourth position.

After supporting the government in 2020, Mr. Singh became the Cabinet Minister for the first time in Bihar. In 2010 assembly election he had contested Chakai assembly seat on the ticket of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and won it, however in 2015 Mr. Singh was defeated by RJD’s Ms. Devi in the 2015 assembly election.

Speaking over the issue, Mr. Prasad said, “He was under the impression that he would do whatever he wanted. I asked him why he came as the programme was the NDA’s workers conference and he is an independent MLA. I asked him whether he is into any party of NDA or not, he said no and had come to support the programme. Then I told him to restrict himself with the meeting convened by the CM and cabinet not in the party’s programme.”

He further said, “For last five years, he has been minting money to give support to the government. He has become a contractor and gives contracts to those who are close to him. He took commissions from the contractors for awarding tenders in the district.”

Mr. Singh also reacted on the issue saying, “He has no knowledge and calling me an independent MLA. He should ask the Chief Minister; wow I have a cabinet minister? He is indirectly raising questions on Nitish Kumar ji.”

According to the sources, Mr. Prasad has the support of senior JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and Mr. Singh has the backing of cabinet minister Ashok Choudhary.