Source – indiatoday.in
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which generally talks about morality in politics, seems to be going the opposite way in the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections. A lot of candidates belonging to other parties earlier have been given tickets by the party and it also includes some of those who have serious allegations of corruption against them.
Two candidates who recently joined the BJP are Bhanu Pratap Shahi, who was a minister in Madhu Koda’s government and is now the BJP candidate from Bhavnathpur Assembly constituency and is accused in a Rs 130 crore medicine scam. The second is Shashi Bhushan Mehta, who has been given the ticket from Panki and is accused of killing a teacher working in his school.
As per court sources, the chargesheet submitted by the CBI and the ED in the 2008 medicine scam has the name of Bhanu Pratap Shahi, who has been included in the first list of 52 candidates by the BJP.
According to sources, the government made a provision to purchase medicines from public sector undertakings under the National Rural Health Mission but Shahi, during the Madhu Koda government, defied the rules and purchased a huge quantity of medicines from private companies.
Shahi was arrested in this case in 2011 and is out on bail since 2013. Sources say that Shahi is an accused in a money laundering case also. The BJP leaders are also not happy with the party for giving tickets to such people. This is the reason Anant Pratap Dev, a former MLA from Bhawanthpur constituency, quit the BJP and joined the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).
“I never thought that the party which used to talk about morality is now giving tickets to the tainted leaders. Everyone knows about corruption during the Madhu Koda government. The BJP in the state won the elections on the issue of corruption only. Bhanu Pratap Shahi is facing several charges and all these things were ignored,” Dev told IANS.
Mehta, accused of killing a teacher of his school, joined the BJP in October and has been given the ticket from Panki whereas there has been no announcement on giving a ticket to the whistleblower in the fodder scam and senior BJP minister Saryu Rai.
I am a travel writer and regional storyteller dedicated to documenting the culture, heritage, daily life, and travel experiences of Bihar. Through Mera Apna Bihar, I share local insights, real travel stories, and on-ground experiences that highlight the true spirit of Bihar for readers, travelers, and culture enthusiasts.
In addition to regional storytelling, I curate travel narratives and destination experiences through HolidayLandmark Stories, where journeys, city moments, and authentic travel experiences are documented in a story-driven format:
I also manage a growing network of city-focused travel platforms where I regularly publish daily travel logs capturing real-time journeys, local discoveries, and everyday experiences across India:
- Bangalore Orbit – Daily Logs
- Bhopal Orbit – Daily Logs
- Chennai Orbit – Daily Logs
- Gujarat Orbit – Daily Logs
- Kerala Orbit – Daily Logs
- Mera Apna Bihar – Daily Logs
- Mumbai Orbit – Daily Logs
For readers seeking deeper insights, curated content, and structured travel information, I also publish city blogs and destination guides across multiple platforms:
- Bangalore Orbit – Blog
- Bhopal Orbit – Blog
- Chennai Orbit – Blog
- Gujarat Orbit – Blog
- Kerala Orbit – Blog
- Mera Apna Bihar
- Mumbai Orbit – Blog
Through this interconnected network, my goal is to preserve regional stories, promote local culture, and provide authentic travel information that reflects the real experiences of people and places across Bihar and India.