Latest news with #BaatBiharKi
Hans India
08-08-2025
- Hans India
Prashant Kishor targets Bihar Health Minister on corruption charges
Patna: Jan Suraaj chief, Prashant Kishor, on Friday slammed the Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey over corruption charges, asserting that the minister is involved in the medical college scam. 'Pandey accepted a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from BJP's Bihar state president Dilip Jaiswal in exchange for helping Kishanganj's MGM Medical College secure the status of a deemed university,' charged Kishor while addressing a press conference in Patna. He claimed the money was used to buy a flat worth Rs 86 lakh in Delhi's Dwarka in 2020, in the name of Pandey's wife, Urmila Pandey, at the height of the COVID crisis. According to Kishor, the Rs 25 lakh was first transferred to Pandey's father, Awadhesh Pandey, from Jaiswal's account on August 6, 2019, via RTGS. The funds were then used in six transactions to purchase the property, with Jaiswal acting as a witness in the deal. Kishor also accused Pandey of failing to mention this 'loan' in his 2020 election affidavit. Shortly after the property purchase, Kishor noted, MGM Medical College was granted deemed university status, after two decades of affiliation with BN Mandal University. Kishor further levelled serious allegations regarding ambulance procurement in Bihar. He claimed that in 2022, 466 Type C ambulances were bought from Force Motors at Rs 19.58 lakh each, while in 2025, 250 more were purchased at Rs 27 lakh each - despite similar models being sold to Odisha and Uttar Pradesh at lower prices. Tata Motors' cheaper bid was allegedly rejected because an AC in the driver's cabin was 'unnecessary,' paving the way for Force Motors' higher-priced order. The Jan Suraaj chief argued that if bulk buying was involved, prices should have been lower, not higher. He held Pratyay Amrit, then Principal Secretary of the Health Department and soon to be Chief Secretary, accountable for approving the inflated deals. Kishor also alleged irregularities in the Ayushman Bharat health card scheme at MGM College, Kishanganj, pointing out that the scheme's state head was formerly the personal secretary to Mangal Pandey. 'These officials must remember - signatures on files have consequences. Not only politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav were punished in the fodder scam; officials were also caught,' Kishor warned. Prashant Kishor strongly countered the BJP's charges, asserting that he has been running the 'Baat Bihar Ki' Facebook page since 2018 and there is nothing illegal about it. 'When I left JD-U in 2018, they tried to pressure me by putting forward a dummy person claiming that the 'Baat Bihar Ki' page wasn't mine. My job is to create slogans – we do it for leaders across the country. Why would I steal my own slogan? The case went to court and was dismissed; now it's in the High Court with judgment reserved,' Kishor said. He added that the page has over 25 lakh followers and its photos and videos reach five crore viewers. 'If we've done anything wrong, the government is yours – file a case and arrest us,' he challenged. Kishor also attacked the BJP, saying, 'Lalu Prasad Yadav was punished for allegations against him, but BJP leaders are quietly enjoying the benefits under the blanket. These are thugs and miscreants.' He promised to release the 'next instalment' of his exposé soon. Responding to the charges, BJP's Bihar spokesperson Prabhakar Mishra dismissed them as baseless. 'Kishor and his party, Jan Suraaj, have lost ground in Bihar. They were defeated badly in the bypolls of Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj, and they will lose again in the upcoming Assembly elections,' Mishra said. At the press meet, Jan Suraaj national president Uday Singh, former MP Sitaram Yadav, MLC Afaq Alam, HQ convenor NK Mandal, general secretary Sarwar Ali, ex-BJP leader Sudhir Sharma, and Vinita Vijay were present. The event was conducted by former MLA Kishore Kumar Munna, convenor of the election campaign committee.
NDTV
07-08-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Bihar BJP Renews Attack On Prashant Kishor For 2020 Election Campaign Data 'Theft'
Patna: BJP's Bihar unit spokesperson Danish Eqbal on Thursday renewed the attack on Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor for the 2020 election data "theft". The case pertains to the alleged theft and misuse of election campaign data and intellectual property from a Congress member. Eqbal, addressing the media and also releasing a video statement, said: "Prashant Kishor has been exposed. Those who preach morality are themselves involved in serious crimes under IPC Sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 406 and 120B. These are charges of forgery, fraud, and conspiracy. In Patliputra PS Case No. 94/2020, his role resembles that of a professional criminal." Eqbal further attacked Kishor, accusing him of misleading the public with his "Baat Bihar Ki" campaign, which he claimed was based on stolen content. "The people of Bihar now recognise these masked leaders. They are not leaders, but thieves," he said. Eqbal also shared the document related to the case. The case was filed by Congress worker Shashwat Gautam on February 25, 2020, alleging that he had been developing an election campaign titled 'Bihar Ki Baat' at his Patliputra Colony office. The campaign involved data collection, strategy planning, graphic design, and branding, all of which were reportedly stored on an office laptop. Gautam alleged that Osama Khurshid, a volunteer who had previously contested Patna University elections on a JD(U) ticket, came to the office and took the laptop containing the data. While the laptop was later returned, Gautam claimed the data was misused. According to the FIR, Prashant Kishor launched a similar campaign named 'Baat Bihar Ki' on February 18, 2020, allegedly using the stolen materials. The domain for Kishor's campaign was registered on February 16, just two days before its public announcement. The complainant accused Kishor and Khurshid of conspiring to misappropriate intellectual property. The anticipatory bail application for Prashant Kishor was filed during the COVID-19 pandemic under relaxed procedural rules. The case is pending before the Court of Sub Judge XII-cum-ACJM, Patna. Kishor's lawyer, Arun Kumar, argued that his client is innocent, has no criminal antecedents, and was falsely implicated for political reasons. Kishor's lawyer emphasised that the data allegedly stolen was publicly available and multiple similar domain names had been registered in recent months, weakening exclusivity claims. Kishor is a professional election strategist, and any resemblance in campaign themes is coincidental or a result of standard practices in the industry. It was also submitted that Osama Khurshid, not Kishor, was directly accused of taking the data. When approached for comment, a senior Jan Suraaj official and media coordinator declined to respond to the allegations. "Prashant Kishor will answer on this matter in the future," he said.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Jan Suraaj Party pitches Prashant Kishor as Bihar's ‘most popular' CM pick - a look at its poll strategy
'Declare Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister candidate if he is the face of the NDA,' challenged Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor on May 30, as he toured the state in his 'Bihar Badlav Yatra'. Mr. Kishor, a political strategist, who was instrumental in strategising several political campaigns, including those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, is setting himself up as a third alternative in Bihar beside the Mahagathbandhan (RJD-Congress-Left) and the National Democratic Alliance (BJP-JDU-LJP). Speaking to The Hindu, on Thursday (June 5, 2025), JSP working President Mr. Manoj Bharti pitched Mr. Kishor as a potential CM candidate. 'He is the most popular choice for CM in Bihar. The whole country and Bihar should forget about Nitish Kumar in the coming election. There is just no way that he can be in any position to drive anything in the next government. We are not going to form any coalition with anyone before or after polls. We will not join anyone just for the sake of forming a government,' says Mr. Bharti. Since October 2022, Mr. Kishor has been touring Bihar on foot, highlighting key issues like unemployment, migration, and inflation in the State, spanning 5000 kilometres across 17 districts. Two years later, he launched the 'Jan Suraaj Party' with a 'human first' approach, aiming to build a Bihar where 'people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab come in search of work.' Within days, his new party's popularity among the masses was tested. While JSP failed to open its accounts in the November 2024 by-polls held for four seats – Ramgarh, Belaganj, Imamganj and Tarari— Mr. Kishor expressed satisfaction with polling 10% of the total votes in these seats. Here's a look at Jan Suraaj's origins, journey, objectives and poll strategy. Prashant Kishor's Bihar journey Prashant Kishor has been active in strategising poll campaigns since 2012. After successfully aiding Mr. Modi in his re-election as Gujarat CM in 2012 and later in 2014 as Prime Minister, Mr. Kishor first forayed into Bihar in 2015. Bringing rivals Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar together as the 'Mahagathbandhan,' Mr. Kishor was instrumental in limiting BJP to a mere 58 seats in the 243-member Assembly. Despite Mr. Kumar's shifting loyalties, he retained Mr. Kishor as his political advisor, even appointing him JD(U)'s vice-president and his potential 'successor.' However, Mr. Kishor's stint with JDU came to an end in 2020 after he vociferously opposed the party's support for the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Expelled from JDU in January that year, Mr. Kishor launched 'Baat Bihar Ki' — a campaign to attract people to help him find Bihar its 'rightful place among top 10 States of India in next 10-15 years.' In the following two years, Mr. Kishor hit the ground with his 'Baat Bihar Ki' campaign, undertaking a padyatra across the State. Targetting Mr. Kumar for the poverty in Bihar, he claimed that the NDA's 15-year regime had brought no development to the state. As a caste survey was done across Bihar, Mr. Kishor questioned why Mr. Kumar had not increased the reservation limit, disbursed financial aid to poor and homeless families, or handed over land rights to Dalit farmers. JSP has promised to decide on the implementation of these promises once it forms government. In October 2024, Mr. Kishor announced the launch of JSP based on five principles, including a one-year tenure for its party president and two years for its council members, and selection of poll candidates in a process similar to the primaries held by parties in the United Statess. JSP has promised to announce initial nominees in March and the final candidate for every seat by November. The party has promised to advocate for the 'Right to Recall' system for public representatives and to display both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on their official flag. JSP's entry was opposed by RJD, which accused Mr. Kishor of acting as a 'B-Team of BJP.' Seeking to frame Mr. Kishor's entry as a ploy to pit the OBCs and the upper castes against each other, RJD MP Misa Bharti said, 'Who is Prashant Kishor Pandey? Pandeys have this business of abusing Yadavs.' In response, Mr. Kishor chose Madhubani-born Manoj Bharti, a former diplomat and a Dalit, as the party's first working president, promising to build a developed Bihar. JSP's electoral performance In November 2024, JSP faced its first electoral test as it fielded candidates for the by-elections in Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj and Imamganj, as their MLAs were recently elected to Lok Sabha. In Tarari, JSP fielded Kiran Singh against BJP's Vishal Prashant — son of baahubali (strongman) Narendra Kumar Pandey — and CPI-ML's Raju Yadav. BJP managed to wrest the seat from CPI-ML, while JSP finished a distant third with 5622 votes. In Ramgarh, JSP fielded Sushil Singh Kushwaha against BJP's Ashok Kumar Singh and RJD's Ajit Kumar Singh in a bid to woo the Kushwaha community and capitalise on the division of votes. However, BJP managed to wrest this seat too from RJD as JSP finished fourth with 6513 votes. In Belaganj, which has a sizable Muslim and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) population, JSP fielded Mohd. Amjad against two heavyweights — Vishwanath Kumar Singh of RJD and Manorama Devi of JDU. Mr. Kishor's gamble failed as JDU's Manorama Devi, wife of baahubali Bindi Yadav, trumped Mr. Amjad by a margin of 56,049 votes. In Imamganj, JSP fielded Jitendra Paswan, a well-known pediatrician from the area, against Deepa Santhosh Manhi of NDA ally Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), who is the daughter-in-law of party chief Jitan Ram Manjhi. Mr. Paswan failed to dent Ms. Manjhi's vote share as he polled 37,103 votes. In the wake of the poll drubbing, former MPs Devendra Prasad Yadav and Monazir Hassan quit the party. However, Mr. Kishor remained undeterred, making a slew of promises to be fulfilled if voted to power – lifting prohibition and spending the liquor tax revenue on education, offering low-interest loans to working class with better disbursal, and providing a monthly pension of ₹2000 for senior citizens. JSP has also promised land reforms and easy loans to women with the State government providing the required guarantee. JSP also received a boost after Nitish Kumar's estranged aide R.C.P Singh merged his outfit Aap Sabki Awaz party with it on May 18, 2025. Mr. Singh, a former IAS officer known for his booth-level organisational skills in the JDU, fell out with Mr. Kumar and was removed from the Union Cabinet in October 2024. He has since then been a harsh critic of Mr. Kumar, calling Bihar's bifurcation and the prohibition a mistake. 'According to some estimates, almost ₹20,000 crore of tax revenue from liquor is not being utilized. Prohibition is only on paper. Liquor is not available in shops but is available for home delivery. Anyone who wants to consume it can get it at a premium price. A huge section of officers are earning ill-gotten money through corruption and in the name of stopping liquor sale, half of the police force is trying to control it and trying to have a piece of the cake,' explains Mr. Bharti. Factors affecting JSP's strategy and its prospects The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, during this year's Parliamentary Budget Session gave rise to questions about the potential impact on the polls in Bihar, where Muslims make up around 18% of the population. According to a Lokniti-CSDS survey, the Mahagathbandhan has cornered the Muslim votes in the past three decades. In 2005, the Mahagathbandhan cornered 40% of the Muslim vote, while NDA polled only 4% of the community's votes. In subsequent elections (2010, 2015 and 2020), Nitish Kumar's shifting loyalties have swayed the Muslim vote towards either coalition. With the NDA, JDU helped the coalition by polling 21% support from Muslims, while RJD polled 32% of the Muslim votes, and Congress, which did not ally with the RJD, got 22% votes. In 2015, JDU allied with RJD and cornered the support of 69% of Muslims, while NDA got only 6% of the community's vote share. Five years later, 76% of Muslims voted for the RJD-Congress combine while only 5% of Muslims supported the NDA. The Lokniti-CSDS survey concluded that the JD(U)-BJP alliance has never been a primary choice for Muslim voters, making a significant electoral shift unlikely in 2025. 'There is little reason for the NDA to worry in Bihar,' mused Lokniti-CSDS analysts in a column in The Hindu, dismissing JSP's impact in these polls. However, Mr. Bharti disagrees. 'We have a selection process which entails feedback from the ground from the village level, from the block level, from the division level before evaluating candidates. Per seat, atleast 5-10 potential candidates have been nominated of which one will be chosen,' he says. The party is following the same pattern to identify candidates as that used by political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) —an organisation founded by Mr. Kishor. Instead of castes, JSP has divided Bihari society into five broad classes – forward, backward, extremely poor, Muslims and Dalits. 'Based on their percentage in the population, as per the caste census that was done in Bihar, we will distribute tickets for all 243 seats. For example, Muslims constitute 18-19%, so they will be given 40 seats,' says Mr. Bharti. When asked if a Muslim candidate will be chosen in a Muslim-majority constituency, he says, 'Yes, that will be the main criteria.' Mr. Kishor has hinted at his own poll debut from Raghopur. The seat has been held by Lalu Yadav's chosen heir, Tejashwi Yadav, since 2015. Not ruling out a potential clash between Mr. Kishor and the RJD scion, Mr. Bharti says, 'Mr. Kishor has said that he has no problem fighting from any seat the party decides, including Raghopur. He is not afraid of fighting anyone from anywhere.' Raghopur, which falls under the district of Vaishali, has a sizable population of Rajputs in the Yadav-dominated region, opening avenues for the JSP to split the upper caste vote in the seat.
