Two former Indian Police Service (IPS) officers once celebrated as “super cops” — Shivdeep Lande of Bihar and Anand Mishra of Assam — are set for a new battleground: the Bihar Assembly election. Voting will take place in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with results to be declared on November 14.

Shivdeep Lande, 49, widely dubbed the “Singham of Bihar,” is contesting as an independent candidate from Jamalpur in Munger district. Originally from Akola district in Maharashtra, Lande built a formidable reputation as a tough law enforcer, especially during his tenure as Superintendent of Police in Patna, where he cracked down on street crime and harassment. A 2006-batch IPS officer, he resigned last year while serving as Inspector-General in Purnia. In March, he floated his political outfit, the Hindu Sena, pledging to bring his brand of discipline and social reform into politics.

Lande’s election affidavit shows no criminal charges. His declared assets total Rs 20.74 lakh, while his wife, Mamta Shivtare — daughter of former Maharashtra minister Vijay Shivtare — possesses assets worth Rs 20.5 crore. Her portfolio includes two luxury vehicles, residential properties in Mumbai and Pune, and 17 acres of farmland. She also has loans amounting to Rs 2.7 crore. Their daughter, Arha, holds assets worth Rs 14.8 lakh.

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Anand Mishra, 44, known as the “Singham of Assam Police,” is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Buxar. Originally from Jigna in Buxar district, Mishra carved his identity as an “encounter specialist” during his tenure in Assam, where he led aggressive crackdowns on drug cartels and crime networks. A recipient of the President’s Medal for Gallantry and several state honors, Mishra left the force in January last year to enter politics.

Mishra previously ran as an independent in the Lok Sabha polls but lost; later, he briefly associated with poll strategist Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj movement before joining the BJP in August this year. His declared assets are worth Rs 2.5 crore, including a Royal Enfield motorcycle and a home in Hooghly, West Bengal. His wife, Archana Tiwari, owns movable and immovable assets worth about Rs 1.05 crore combined.

As Bihar gears up for a high-stakes election, both officers-turned-politicians — one a symbol of Bihar’s home-grown law enforcement spirit, the other a national awardee from Assam — are drawing widespread attention for bringing their “tough cop” reputations into the political arena.

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