LJP’s “broker” & Lawyer Ajay Kumar Pandey now aiming to manipulate journalists club in Delhi

Once a pauper now a “wheeler-dealer”, Pandey drives luxury SUVs on Delhi’s roads

Delhi Crown Bureau

New Delhi: A politician, a lawyer and a wheeler-dealer in Delhi’s corridors of power, Dr. Ajay Kumar Pandey, who hails from Bihar’s Gaya district, is now aiming at manipulating a journalists club in the heart of the national capital – “The Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) of South Asia” by bidding for its President’s post…!

Elections are scheduled to take place at The FCC on May 24, and Pandey has filed his nomination for the post of “president”, besides also filing dummy nominations for the posts of “Treasurer” and “Member, Governing Committee”.

Pandey is often seen on least-popular TV channels as the spokesman of Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan’s political party – the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

Better known as a “broker” for the LJP in Delhi circles, Pandey can be often seen driving different luxury SUVs, each worth Rs. crore. And, if sources are to be believed, all this ill-gotten wealth he accumulated in recent years through striking “deals” by arranging appointments for political wannabes in different Centre government’s ministries and/or departments,  by using his influence as Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s party LJP’s spokesman and General-Secretary.

In his resume, Pandey claims to be a Supreme Court lawyer. However, there were no appearances in his name when “The Delhi Crown” searched on the Supreme Court of India’s official website…!

According to The FCC members, in a similar fashion Pandey had managed to grab a position in The FCC’s Governing Committee (GC) a decade ago. But after strong reservations raised against him from within the GC, the then President had ruled him out and he had meekly step aside.

As per The FCC’s records, Pandey works with never-heard of media group “Din Media”.

Members at The FCC say they prefer to maintain a distance from Pandey whenever he visits the Club. Members are often heard describing Pandey as “a wheeler-dealer and a conman” who indulges in throwing his weight around as a politician, lawyer and also as a journalist.

A veteran journalist with Hindi daily “Navbharat Times”, who also is a member of The FCC, told www.thedelhicrown.com – “Ajay Kumar Pandey claims that he was initially a journalist, then he became a Supreme Court Lawyer, and now again he claims to be a journalist in the Foreign Correspondent category at The FCC. Though he also projects himself as LJP’s spokesman. I fail to understand how could he be so audacious? How can a person wear three hats – a Politician, a Lawyer and a Journalist as well?”

On the condition of anonymity, the veteran journalist further said, “Today, I see journalists becoming spineless. I would like to ask the FCC Members who proposed and seconded Pandey’s name for different posts at the Club for the ensuing elections, if, or not, they applied their minds to know Pandey’s credentials before blindly signing on his nominations?”

Another Club member, who is also contesting for one of the GC posts, said, “I often see Ajay Kumar Pandey wearing black (lawyer’s) robes and hobnobbing with lawyers at the FCC lawns. His bio-data, which comes along with every email sent by him, seems to be fake, self-praising and stupidly lengthy. I fail to understand what kind of journalists are those people who proposed and seconded Pandey’s name for different posts.”

Notably, as per The FCC’s official website, Pandey’s nomination for the post of “President” has been proposed by one Mr. Ashok Barthwal and seconded by Mr. Amitabh Srivastava. For the post of “Treasurer”, Pandey’s nomination has been proposed by one Tulika Bhatnagar (PressXpress https://pressxpress.org/ ) and seconded by Eshani Mathur (Bloomberg News). And, his nomination for the post of “Member, Governing Committee” has been proposed by Mayank Bhardwaj (Reuters) and seconded by Ashish Nijhawan (Kyodo News https://english.kyodonews.net/ ).

Amusingly, in his “illustrious & never ending” resume, Ajay Kumar Pandey claims to be President of the “Supreme Court Life Member Bar Association”; Advocate & Consultant of the Supreme Court of India & High Courts; mentions his firm’s name as “4CSupreme Law International, Delhi,  NCR. Mumbai & Dubai”, Director of the International Council of Jurist, London, Member of the World Independent Lawyers League (WILL), Veteran Journalist, and finally National General Secretary & Spokesperson of “the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), NDA Govt led by PM Modi.” All this is besides a host of Degrees and Certificates acquired by Pandey from across the globe..!

It’s also learnt from the Club’s members that Pandey is a close pal of Munish Gupta who earlier “looted” The FCC while holding different posts as an office-bearer at the Club. Munish Gupta is the brother of Manoranjana Gupta Sinh, the ex-wife of late Congress leader Matang Sinh. Manoranjana spent a few months in Tihar Jail after being charged on many counts for her dubious role in the infamous “Saradha Scam” that hit the country in 2013.

As per the Club’s election schedule, nominations can be withdrawn on May 20-21, and the final list of contestants for different posts is scheduled to be put up on The FCC’s official website by May 22.