Bihar People’s Party: The party launched by Anand Mohan, his wife Lovely its only ever MP

Mohan’s wife, Lovely Anand, the party’s only MP in the mid-1990s (Vaishali bypoll), has since crossed over to former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party HAM(S). She lost from the Sheohar assembly seat. The Anands were also with the JD(U) briefly, between 2005 and 2007.

In the neighbourhood lives Anil Jha, who introduces himself as the office secretary of the now delisted party. He narrates how it ran starting 1993-94. Some Janata Dal MLAs and leaders including Anand Mohan, Prabhunath Singh and Rajiv Pratap Rudy (now BJP Union minister) had formed the party, he said. “We fielded 212 candidates in the 1995 assembly elections and won Araria (Vijay Mandal),” said Jha.

Lovely Anand told The Indian Express: “Anand Mohan had taken the party to heights with his charisma. Though the 1995 results show one seat, the bigger takeaway was our being second in 60-odd seats,” she said.

She said her husband raised funds from supporters. Asked about the address, she could not recall which MLA it had been allotted to at the time. “Maybe one of the MLAs who had broken away from Janata Dal. Most BPP leaders including Anand Mohan later joined the Samata Party led by George Fernandes,” she said.

Asked if she knew the BPP has now been delisted, she wondered that it still existed on paper. She had fond memories: “I have the honour of having become the only BPP MP.”

Former office secretary Jha wants to know how the party can be listed once again. Even after Anand Mohan was elected Samata Party MP in 1996, the BPP office continued to exist here until 2005, according to Jha. He pointed at a plywood structure in the garage of No. 302. “After 2005, BPP has had no office.”

Also registered at Patna addresses…

CHAMPARAN VIKAS PARTY

Registered address: Block-A, Flat No. 102, Daroga Rai Path, Patna
On the spot: The current occupant is the BJP’s Purnea MLA, Vijay Khemka. He is at the Patna address mostly during assembly sessions.

Shailesh Kumar, the caretaker, has not heard of Champaran Vikas Party. Khemka told The Indian Express: “I am amused that my Patna address was used by a political party that I know nothing about. I will have to ask previous occupants if they knew of Champaran Vikas Party.” No resident at Block-A could throw any light on such a party.

BHARTIYA PRAJANTRA PARTY

Registered address: Patel Nagar, Road No. 9, Patna
On the spot: Patel Nagar locality includes East Patel Nagar, West Patel Nagar and North Patel Nagar. Only East Patel Nagar has a Road No. 9. The 300 m road has houses on either side but none bears anything to suggest that it has been the present or past address of Bhartiya Prajantra Party. Ranjit Kumar Jha, living on Road No. 9 for 15 years, says he has not heard such a name for any political party functioning from this area.