By Nishindra Kinjalk
PATNA: Bihar’s election season, once expected to follow the familiar rhythm of caste equations and coalition arithmetic, has been jolted into uncharted territory. Allegations of corruption, disproportionate assets, misuse of funds, and even the revival of a decades-old gang rape and murder case have unsettled the assembly election landscape.
Ministers once seen as untouchable are suddenly on the defensive. Aspirants are rechecking affidavits. Lawyers are working overtime. And voters are leaning in with unusual attention.
A State on Edge
The timing of the storm could not be more delicate. Both alliances — the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc — are in advanced seat-sharing talks. Just as formulas looked close to final, Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor (PK) unleashed a flurry of charges supported by documents and details.
The impact has been immediate. Power corridors in Patna are filled with whispers and unease. While the allegations remain untested in court, their specificity is enough to dominate political discourse.
At a Glance: The Allegations
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Jivesh Mishra (Urban Development, BJP): Covertly owning a pharmaceutical company producing substandard medicines. Mishra denies.
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Mangal Pandey (Health, BJP): Alleged purchase of Delhi flats using unaccounted funds, routed through state BJP chief Dilip Jaisawal.
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Ashok Choudhary (JDU): Alleged disproportionate assets.
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Samrat Choudhary (Deputy CM, BJP): Named in revived 1990s Shilpi Jain gang rape & murder case; affidavit misstatements about age/education.
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Sanjay Jaisawal (BJP MP): Criticized for nepotism and dynastic politics.
JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar reminded reporters: “Hum na kisi ko phasate hai, na bachate hai” — we neither fix anyone, nor shield anyone.
Political Repercussions
Inside the NDA, the atmosphere is one of fear. Ministers are consulting lawyers, aspirants are scrambling to recheck their affidavits, and those not directly affected are whispering about “clean alternatives.” Ticket negotiations have turned shaky, denting the image of stability the alliance once projected.
Officially, leaders dismiss the charges as “politically motivated.” Yet the absence of defamation suits and muted responses from some of the accused suggests unease. Ashok Choudhary, who once threatened to drag PK to the Supreme Court, now says only: “The real verdict will be in the court of the masses.”
But beneath the surface, a subtler narrative circulates. Many note that those targeted — Samrat Choudhary, Mangal Pandey, Jivesh Mishra — are the BJP’s likely CM aspirants. The pattern has fueled speculation that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar himself may be allowing, even feeding, these disclosures.
“It’s his way of teaching Modi and Shah the basics of Bihar politics,” said a Patna strategist. “He won’t attack directly, but he’ll ensure no one grows strong enough to threaten his chair.”
PK denies acting as anyone’s proxy, insisting: “Truth has its own way of surfacing.” Yet in Bihar, every leak is read not just for its content, but for the hand that may have guided it.
In the Streets and Stalls
From tea stalls in Darbhanga to paan shops in Gaya, the question echoes: “Ab kiska naam aayega?” — whose name will surface next?
For voters, corruption allegations are familiar. But this time, the specifics are harder to dismiss. The revival of a decades-old rape and murder case has especially shaken younger voters and women.
Political observers suggest Kishor’s timing is calculated. By focusing on BJP’s own heavyweights, he stirs both public outrage and internal rivalries.
Why These Allegations Matter
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Public Health: Substandard medicines in a state scarred by hospital tragedies.
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Symbol of Misuse: Flats in Delhi bought with unaccounted funds.
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Credibility: Assets beyond declared income undercut NDA’s development claims.
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Moral Shock: A rape and murder case revival against a deputy CM.
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Legal Fallout: Affidavit misstatements risk disqualification.
INDIA Bloc: Opportunity and Caution
- The INDIA alliance should benefit. Yet unity remains elusive.
- The RJD distrusts Congress, which insists on 70 seats but avoids naming Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face. Congress is also courting Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar, moves that unsettle RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad.
- “There is opportunity here,” admitted a Congress insider, “but also danger. PK is unpredictable. Tomorrow, he could target us, too.”
In Bihar, where elections have long revolved around caste and coalitions, the 2025 contest is shaping around something sharper: a charge sheet of corruption, crime, and credibility.
For NDA, the challenge is salvaging the image and tickets. For INDIA, it is a converting opportunity without collapsing under mistrust. For voters, it is rare theatre — ministers scrambling, alliances sweating.
Yet in Patna’s corridors, one question dominates: who gains most? If whispers hold weight, Nitish Kumar may quietly be the biggest beneficiary. By letting BJP rivals absorb damage, he both secures his chair and reminds Delhi’s power duo — Modi and Shah — that Bihar’s politics follows no script but its own.
Whether or not the allegations are proven in court, they have already reshaped the electoral narrative. And as the campaign heats up, Bihar waits — not just for the next skeleton, but for the revelation of the true scriptwriter behind its political storm.
