Party affiliations hardly matter for bahubalis (strongmen) when it comes to elections in Bihar.

Hulas Pandey, a don-turned-politician, changed his loyalty and joined Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Saturday. Hulas, the younger brother of sitting JDU MLA from Tarari, Sunil Pandey, is set to contest the Legislative Council poll from Ara in Bhojpur.

The filing of the nominations for the 24 Vidhan Sabha seats, scheduled to be held on July 7, started on Thursday.

Hulas's name cropped up during investigations in the murder of former Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Mukhiya. He was also questioned by members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT). In addition, he was earlier accused of masterminding the kidnapping of a Hajipur-based doctor.

A terror in the Shahabad region, which comprises Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur, Hulas had won the Legislative Council election last time from Ara as an Independent but later extended his support to the Nitish Kumar-led JDU. A supporter of Hulas said: "This time, the seat has gone to RJD under the new alliance."

Hulas's contender and RJD candidate Radh Charan Sah, alias Radha Charan Seth, is known as a drug mafioso. Hailing from the Babu Bazaar locality of Ara town, Radha Charan's name had figured during an interrogation of five youths arrested from Rupaspur locality in Patna in August last year.

The police had also seized heroin worth over Rs 2 crore from the possession of the arrested persons, who claimed to be only carriers.

Then Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj had claimed that Radha Charan was the ringleader of the drug racket in Bihar's western parts and had earned huge money through the illegal trade. "Seth is a household name in the drug-peddling business in the state," Maharaaj said.

Surprisingly, the investigation into Seth's involvement was slowed down. A senior police officer said Radha Charan had played an important role in Maharaaj's transfer from Patna, as he had recommended a probe by the economic offences unit into his assets allegedly amassed through unlawful activities.

The third contender from Bhojpur is Anil Choudhary, an alleged land mafioso. He is from theCharpokhari locality of Ara town, while his contender Hulas hailed from Nawadih in Bhojpur. "While Hulas is facing multiple criminal charges, the other two contenders are no less important," said R.K. Pandey, a resident of Bhojpur.

Ritlal Yadav, a history-sheeter from the Danapur-Khagaul area in Patna, has also filed his nomination papers as an Independent for the Patna seat. Yadav, at present lodged in Beur Central Jail, is an accused in the murder of BJP leader Satya Narayan Singh (the husband of BJP MLA Asha Sinha).

A former mukhiya of Kothwan, Ritlal was appointed general secretary of the RJD ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls after the intervention of Lalu Prasad. Ritlal filed the nominations on Friday, defying the RJD's line. He, however, claimed that he had not defied the party's line.