Patna: The political atmosphere in Bihar is heating up as the Assembly elections of 2025 draw closer. This time, all eyes are on the Warisliganj seat in Nawada district, where two powerful families will once again face each other. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has re-nominated Anita Devi, wife of the infamous strongman Ashok Mahto, to contest from Warisliganj on the RJD ticket. Anita Devi had earlier contested the Lok Sabha elections from Munger but lost to Union Minister Lallan Singh by a huge margin. Now, she is back in the political fray to challenge BJP’s Aruna Devi, wife of another local strongman, Akhilesh Singh.
According to reports, Anita Devi reached the residence of former chief minister Rabri Devi late at night, where Tejashwi Yadav personally handed her the RJD symbol. The decision surprised many, as Anita Devi’s husband Ashok Mahto has a long criminal history. He spent 17 years in prison for his role in a jailbreak case and was released in 2023. Because of his conviction, Ashok Mahto cannot contest elections himself, so he is now putting his full strength behind his wife’s campaign. His presence in the area and his influence among local supporters are expected to make the contest in Warisliganj even more intense.
Warisliganj has been known for its “strongman politics” for the last 25 years. The fight between Ashok Mahto and Akhilesh Singh is not new — it has been going on since the 1990s. Their rivalry started as a battle for dominance and later became a symbol of caste and power politics in the entire Nawada-Nalanda-Sheikhpura belt. People in this region often see these powerful figures as “Robin Hood” types — leaders with criminal backgrounds but also with a loyal following who believe they help the poor. This election, with both wives in the ring, is expected to revive old tensions and bring back memories of those fierce political and personal battles.
The history of this rivalry runs deep. In the 2000 Assembly election, Aruna Devi, wife of Akhilesh Singh, won from Warisliganj on a JDU ticket. In 2005, Ashok Mahto’s close associate Pradeep Mahto challenged her and managed to win the seat in October that year after losing once in February. The seat has changed hands several times since then. Aruna Devi made a comeback in 2015 and won again in 2020 on a BJP ticket, defeating RJD’s Aarti Singh by about 25,000 votes. Now, Tejashwi Yadav’s decision to field Anita Devi means the constituency will once again witness a battle between two powerful camps — one led by Akhilesh Singh’s family and the other by Ashok Mahto’s.
This clash between the two strongmen’s wives is being seen as one of the most high-profile contests of the Bihar elections. For Tejashwi Yadav, re-nominating Anita Devi could be a move to consolidate RJD’s traditional support base, but it also risks criticism for promoting candidates linked to criminal backgrounds. On the other hand, the BJP hopes that Aruna Devi’s clean image and development record will help her secure another victory. As the campaign begins, Warisliganj once again stands as a symbol of Bihar’s unique mix of power, politics, and personal rivalry — where every election is not just a fight for votes, but also for legacy and pride.
