Family feud intensifies: Neck-and-neck mayoral race in Dhanbad; Indu Singh faces off against nephew Sanjeev Singh in high-stakes election showdown

Dhanbad: With as many as 29 candidates contesting for the post of mayor in the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation elections, the battle has narrowed down to a dramatic family showdown between an aunt and her nephew.

Former mayor Indu Singh has returned to the fray seeking another term, while her nephew, former Jharia MLA Sanjeev Singh, is contesting as a rebel candidate against the BJP-supported nominee. Their direct confrontation has become the most talked-about aspect of the election in Dhanbad.


The rivalry runs deep within a politically influential family. Sanjeev is the son of the late trade union strongman and former MLA Suryadev Singh, while Indu is the wife of his younger brother, Ramadhir Singh. Long-standing tensions between the two branches of the family have now become an open electoral combat.

Projecting himself as a young, energetic, and assertive leader, Sanjeev said his experience as an MLA prepared him for public service at the municipal level. Indu, on the other hand, is banking on her administrative experience. She served as mayor from 2010 to 2015 and claims that her tenure saw substantial development work.

As campaigning intensifies, both candidates are actively canvassing across wards with their supporters, turning the election into a high-stakes political duel.