Bihar Junction: PK puts spotlight on 'corruption' in ruling NDA

Kishor accused Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary of changing his name and producing a fake degree. He alleged that Choudhary, once an accused in a murder case, got out of jail by using a forged birth certificate which showed him as a minor.

Kishor also targeted state Health Minister Mangal Pandey, accusing him of purchasing a flat in Delhi using unaccounted money. “He showed a loan of Rs 35 lakh from the then BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal. At that time, Pandey’s wife had over Rs 2.12 crore in her account,” Kishor claimed.

The most serious charge, however, was levelled against JDU minister Ashok Choudhary. Kishor alleged that Choudhary bought a piece of land in Patna’s Bikram area in the name of his PA in 2019 and later transferred it to his daughter and MP Shambhavi Choudhary.

“Through a trust, Choudhary has purchased land worth over Rs 200 crore in the last two years. I have all the deeds,” Kishor claimed.

The charges so far have been met with silence by those named, but state BJP and JDU leaders have mounted pressure on them to come clean. “They should either reply point to point or quit,” remarked former BJP Union minister and ex-IAS officer RK Singh.

Similarly, the JDU has asked its minister, accused of financial irregularities worth over Rs 200 crore, to clarify his position publicly. “The minister should rebuff the charges in public,” said JDU spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar.

Interestingly, the main Opposition party in the state, the RJD, has refrained from making much noise over the accusations. “We have already been talking about rampant corruption even at the block level,” said RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav, stressing that “corruption is common knowledge”. Privately, however, RJD leaders admit that since the first family of the party itself faces corruption charges, with Lalu Prasad even convicted in the fodder scam, they lack the credibility to make specific allegations.

Kishor also reflected on Nitish Kumar’s changing image. He said prior to the 2020 Assembly polls, corruption was a major issue for the CM.

“I have lived with Nitish during the 2015 polls. Nitish is honest and doesn’t promote dynasty politics. But now he is publicly abused. He remains honest but leads one of the most corrupt regimes in Bihar,” Kishor said, adding that Nitish’s weakening physical and mental health had allowed politicians and officials to take advantage. “I will act against all of them when I come to power,” Kishor vowed.

Analysts, meanwhile, point out that despite repeated charges, politicians have continued to flourish. Lalu Prasad remains the greatest mass leader despite his conviction in the fodder scam and leaders such as RA Lakhan Singh Yadav remained popular in their communities despite corruption allegations.

“I can mention several others. During the 1970s, corruption was a major issue. But now, most leaders are products of the JP movement and many of them have faced charges themselves. Unfortunately, corruption charges have only a marginal impact on polls,” said NK Choudhary, a former professor of economics at Patna University.