Patna, May 5 : Ahead of the crucial third and fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, gangster-turned-politician Anant Kumar Singh was released on parole from Patna's Beur Jail on Sunday morning.

The home ministry of the Bihar government approved his parole for 15 days. Following that, he came out from Patna's Beur jail on the direction of the court at 4.45 a.m. on Sunday. A large number of supporters of Anant Singh assembled at the Beur jail to welcome him. He straight away went to his native place Barh in an ambulance.

After the release of Anant Singh, the contest in Munger Lok Sabha constituency has become interesting now. He was elected as MLA on the ticket of RJD from the Mokama assembly constituency in 2020. After his conviction in an arms act case, he lost his membership. His wife Neelam Devi contested the Mokama by-poll on the RJD ticket and won. She is currently campaigning for JD-U candidate Lalan Singh in the Munger Lok Sabha constituency. The polling in Munger will be held in the fourth phase on May 13.

During the floor test on the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government on February 12 this year, Neelam Devi supported Nitish Kumar.

After the parole of Anant Singh, an intense battle is expected to take place in Munger as RJD has given the ticket to Anita Devi, wife of another gangster-turned politician Ashok Mahto.

Ashok Mahto is extensively campaigning for his wife Anita Devi in the Munger Lok Sabha constituency. He married Anita Devi just before the election so that his wife could contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

An MP-MLA court in Patna sentenced Anant Singh to 10 years imprisonment after he was convicted in an arms act case.

Apart from Munger, the Lok Sabha elections in the fourth phase will be held in Darbhanga, Ujiyarpur, Samastipur (Reserved) and Begusarai on May 13.

/IANS