Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader RK Singh sparked controversy by publicly urging Bihar voters to reject candidates with criminal backgrounds, including prominent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) figures. In a social media post, Singh explicitly named Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, contesting from Tarapur, and Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Singh, a gangster-turned-politician running from Mokama, as individuals with tainted records. He advised voters to opt for NOTA (None of the Above) if no candidate in their constituency is unblemished.

Singh, who lost the Arrah Lok Sabha seat in 2024 and has since been sidelined within the BJP, also criticized JD(U) candidates from Jagdishpur and Sandesh, constituencies under his former parliamentary seat, as well as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidates Deepu Singh (Arrah) and Osama Shahab (Raghunathpur), whose fathers are linked to serious criminal cases. He detailed the criminal charges against these candidates to support his call for rejecting them.

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A retired IAS officer and former Union Home Secretary, Singh previously served as Power Minister in the second Narendra Modi government. His remarks follow his exclusion from the BJP’s election campaign and manifesto committees, prompted by his earlier demands for party leaders, including Choudhary, Dilip Jaiswal, Mangal Pandey, and Sanjay Jaiswal, to address corruption allegations raised by Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor. Singh’s outspoken stance has intensified debates about candidate integrity in Bihar’s ongoing elections.

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