PATNA: The political skies over Bihar are darkening for Tourism Minister Raju Singh. Once known more for his shifting party loyalties than for his administrative work, Singh now finds himself at the center of an unfolding storm — one stirred by political strategist-turned-crusader Prashant Kishor.
For weeks, Kishor’s Jan Suraaj campaign has roamed Bihar like a whistleblower caravan, dragging the skeletons out of cupboards across party lines. His newest focus is Singh, a BJP minister with a controversial past, and allegations that echo the state’s long and troubled relationship with land, power, and violence.
At the heart of the controversy lies a disputed parcel of land in the Paroo block. A senior journalist claims Singh forcibly seized the property, which was co-owned through family inheritance. Documents suggest the land was mutated through questionable means. When confronted, Singh is said to have offered an olive branch — insisting he was unaware of the journalist’s stake and was ready to settle amicably.
But this is hardly Singh’s first brush with notoriety. In 2018, a woman was shot dead during a New Year’s Eve party at his farmhouse outside Delhi. This summer, a Delhi court ordered the framing of charges against him for culpable homicide. Closer home, Singh has also been accused of assaulting a Circle Officer in Paroo — charges he dismisses as politically motivated. Together, the incidents paint a portrait of a politician with a penchant for confrontation and controversy.
Kishor’s decision to single out Singh fits neatly into his broader playbook. The Jan Suraaj movement has trained its guns on some of Bihar’s most powerful men:
- Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary: Kishor has accused him of being a “master in changing his names” and claimed he was involved in a 1998 murder case from which he was released as a minor. Kishor has also publicly questioned his D-Litt degree, alleging it is fraudulent as Choudhary did not even pass his 10th-grade exams.
- JDU leader Ashok Choudhary: He is accused of acquiring land worth over ₹200 crore in just two years through a trust managed by his daughter and her in-laws. Kishor has produced documents showing a series of rapid and large land purchases in Patna.
- BJP State President Sanjay Jaiswal: Kishor has alleged that Jaiswal is involved in a ₹5.87 crore scam related to fraudulent diesel bills from a petrol pump he owns. He also claimed that the municipal corporation of Bettiah has stopped taking fuel from his pump due to these allegations.
Together, these allegations form more than a laundry list of scandals. They are the scaffolding of Kishor’s campaign to redefine Bihar’s politics — not around caste or charisma, but around credibility.
For Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who insists on a “zero tolerance” policy toward corruption, Kishor’s crusade is an irritant that won’t go away. For the opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav, it is ammunition handed on a platter. And for voters, weary of recycled promises, it is a reminder that the state’s politics remains mired in the old patterns of muscle and money.
As elections loom, Singh’s case stands as a microcosm of the larger debate — about whether Bihar’s leaders can finally be held accountable, or whether the familiar dance of accusation and denial will once again end at the ballot box.
