Patna: Cricketer Ishan Kishan’s father, E. Pranav Kumar Pandey, also known as Chunnu, officially joined the Janata Dal (United) on Sunday, along with his supporters. The event took place at the JD(U) office in Patna, where he was welcomed into the party by JD(U)’s National Executive President Sanjay Jha and Bihar State President Umesh Singh Kushwaha.
After accepting membership, Pranav Pandey expressed his admiration for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying, “I am greatly inspired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. We will work to strengthen the party further.”
Sanjay Jha clarified that Pandey had never distanced himself from the JD(U) but was preoccupied with his personal commitments, including helping his son, Ishan Kishan, establish his cricketing career. “He has always been with us, though he was busy with his son’s cricketing pursuits. Now that he has more time, he wants to return to active participation in the party,” Jha said.
Jha also highlighted Ishan Kishan’s contribution to bringing pride to Bihar and noted the Pandey family’s longstanding association with the Samata Party, JD(U)’s predecessor. He added that preparations for the 2025 assembly elections are underway, and Pandey’s return to the party would bolster JD(U)’s strength in the Magadh-Patna region.
Pranav Pandey hails from a political family, with his mother, Dr. Savitri Sharma, being a respected doctor and former civil surgeon of Nawada. Pandey grew up in Nawada, where he was mentored by Dr. Shatrughan Prasad Singh, a notable politician and founding member of Nitish Kumar’s Samata Party. In addition to his business pursuits, Pandey is also actively involved in social service.
