Has Prashant Kishor Exposed Bihar's Health Minister in a Corruption Scandal?

Patna, Aug 8 (NationPress) The chief of Jan Suraaj, Prashant Kishor, has unleashed a barrage of accusations against Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey, alleging his involvement in a significant medical college corruption scandal.

Kishor claimed during a press briefing in Patna that Pandey received a bribe of ₹25 lakh from BJP’s Bihar state president Dilip Jaiswal to facilitate the elevation of Kishanganj’s MGM Medical College to deemed university status.

According to Kishor, the bribe was utilized to purchase a flat priced at ₹86 lakh in Delhi’s Dwarka in 2020, under the name of Pandey’s wife, Urmila Pandey, amid the COVID crisis.

He detailed that the ₹25 lakh was initially transferred to Pandey’s father, Awadhesh Pandey, from Jaiswal’s account through RTGS on August 6, 2019.

This money was subsequently used across six transactions to secure the property, with Jaiswal serving as a witness.

Kishor further accused Pandey of omitting this “loan” from his election affidavit in 2020.

He highlighted that shortly after the property acquisition, MGM Medical College was granted deemed university status, breaking a two-decade affiliation with BN Mandal University.

Additionally, Kishor raised serious concerns regarding the procurement of ambulances in Bihar.

He alleged that in 2022, 466 Type C ambulances were purchased from Force Motors at ₹19.58 lakh each, and in 2025, an additional 250 units were bought at ₹27 lakh each, despite similar models being available at lower costs in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.

He claimed that a more affordable bid from Tata Motors was dismissed, citing an “unnecessary” AC in the driver’s cabin, which allowed for the inflated pricing from Force Motors.

Kishor argued that bulk purchases should logically lead to reduced prices, not increased ones.

He held Pratyay Amrit, the then Principal Secretary of the Health Department, accountable for approving these inflated contracts.

Moreover, he pointed out discrepancies in the Ayushman Bharat health card scheme at MGM College, noting that the scheme’s state head was formerly the personal secretary to Pandey.

“Officials should understand that decisions on paperwork have repercussions. Not only politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav faced consequences in the fodder scam; officials were also implicated,” Kishor cautioned.

He robustly refuted BJP’s allegations, affirming his dedication to the Baat Bihar Ki Facebook page since 2018, emphasizing its legality.

“After my departure from JD-U in 2018, they attempted to undermine me with a false assertion regarding the ownership of the ‘Baat Bihar Ki’ page. My role is to create slogans for leaders across the nation. Why would I compromise my own work? The legal case regarding this was dismissed, and it now lies with the High Court awaiting judgment,” Kishor elaborated.

He revealed that the page has amassed over 25 lakh followers, with its content reaching a staggering five crore viewers.

“If we’ve committed any wrongdoing, the government is in power - pursue legal action and apprehend us,” he challenged.

Kishor also criticized the BJP, stating, “While Lalu Prasad Yadav faced punishment for allegations, BJP leaders are comfortably reaping benefits while remaining sheltered. They are miscreants.”

He assured that he would unveil the “next instalment” of his revelations soon.

In response, BJP’s Bihar spokesperson Prabhakar Mishra dismissed Kishor’s claims as unfounded.

“Kishor and his party, Jan Suraaj, have lost their footing in Bihar. They suffered a significant defeat in the bypolls of Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj, and they will face another loss in the upcoming Assembly elections,” Mishra asserted.

Present at the press conference were 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.

The event was moderated by former MLA Kishore Kumar Munna, convenor of the election campaign committee.