
Manish Chandra Pandey
Manish Chandra Pandey is a Lucknow-based assistant editor with Hindustan Times’ political bureau in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Along with political reporting, he loves to write off beat/human interest stories that people connect with. Manish also covers departments. He feels he has a lot to learn not just from veterans but from the newcomers who make him realise that there is so much to unlearn
Articles by Manish Chandra Pandey

Yogi Adityanath to visit Malda next week to boost BJP’s Bengal prospects
By Manish Chandra Pandey, Lucknow
UPDATED ON FEB 26, 2021 12:06 AM IST
- Besides rallies, the chief minister’s itinerary could include religious stopovers at important places of worship.

Smriti Irani buys land in Amethi, takes a dig at Congress
UPDATED ON FEB 23, 2021 10:10 AM IST
She has bought 11 biswa land for ₹12.11 lakh from local resident Phoolmati Devi to honour the promise she made in the Tiloi area of Amethi soon after defeating then Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections

BJP scales up Suheldev's anniversary celebrations ahead of UP panchayat polls
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Lucknow
UPDATED ON FEB 18, 2021 02:18 PM IST
- The BJP maintains King Suheldev didn’t get his due from past governments and historians. The party has been working to glorify the ruler of Shravasti, located in Bahraich district.

In wake of Priyanka Gandhi’s frequent visits to UP, BJP plans farmer outreach
PUBLISHED ON FEB 15, 2021 11:44 AM IST
The BJP is planning a series of pro-farmer meetings that would include small, rural gatherings. Besides, some Jat leaders could be given prominence in the party, say people in the know

Chamoli glacier burst: 67 from UP still untraceable, 23 safe, 3 dead
UPDATED ON FEB 11, 2021 12:02 AM IST
- UP ministers and officials are camping in Uttarakhand to coordinate rescue and relief work.

Uttar Pradesh deputy CM Keshav Maurya tours Bengal, next up Yogi Adityanath
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2021 09:44 AM IST
Various cadres from UP, committed to the party and its ideology, including those who know Bengali language and culture would be regularly sent to Bengal to establish connection with the electorate there through road corner meetings, party leaders said.

UP govt to transfer Rs 12K each to labourers selected for religious travel
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON JAN 01, 2021 09:11 AM IST
The process would begin from January 24, the state’s foundation day. The labour welfare board would invite applications from nearly 1.5cr labourers for the scheme.

Will snatch Rae Bareli as well in 2024: Smiti Irani warns Congress
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON DEC 28, 2020 09:27 AM IST
Keeping up the attack on the Gandhi family, Union minister Smriti Irani dared Rahul Gandhi for a debate on the farmers’ issue and raised questions about Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s proposed Kisan Yatra in UP, describing it as a stunt.

Top UP BJP leaders drafted for ‘Mission Bengal’ with key responsibilities
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON DEC 18, 2020 09:22 AM IST
The BJP had successfully brought together OBCs and Dalits in UP and that experience could be useful in Bengal where the party is attempting to connect with fishermen and Matuas, a Dalit refugee group with origins in Bangladesh and whose influence is spread over 50 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, said a BJP leader.

UP MLC polls heat up as aggressive BJP goes all out
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Lucknow, Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 06, 2020 12:42 PM IST
Of the 11 MLC seats —six teachers’ and five graduates’, the BJP contested nine and backed an independent for the teachers’ quota seat in Gorakhpur.

Voting begins for 11 Uttar Pradesh legislative council seats
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON DEC 01, 2020 09:42 AM IST
As many as 1,269,817 voters for five graduate seats would vote at 1,808 voting centres. There are 206,335 voters eligible to vote for six teachers’ seats at 813 voting centres

UP excise dept’s authenticity drive reveals liquor mafia’s wide network
By Manish Chandra Pandey and Haidar Naqvi | Hindustan Times, Lucknow/Kanpur
PUBLISHED ON NOV 24, 2020 01:21 PM IST
Excise department officials say they have a formidable task to ensure the end of the liquor mafia in Uttar Pradesh.

Radha Mohan Singh to begin new role as BJP UP in-charge with Prayagraj visit today
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
PUBLISHED ON NOV 19, 2020 03:34 PM IST
Radha Mohan Singh, who is also the BJP’s national vice-president, was the union agriculture minister during Narendra Modi’s first term as Prime Minister

Contestants, campaigner, rebel: Dynasts don different mantles in UP bypolls
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
PUBLISHED ON NOV 11, 2020 09:35 AM IST
The BJP retained the six seats it had won in the 2017 UP assembly election while the Samajwadi party retained the Malhani seat.

Brand Yogi gets a boost as BJP warms up for 2022 UP elections with bypoll sweep
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON NOV 10, 2020 09:59 PM IST
The BJP held six of seven by-poll seats and the SP one in the 2017 assembly polls. The by-elections did not alter the equation.

UP to roll out uniform online mutation of properties soon
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON NOV 06, 2020 11:59 AM IST
In the first phase, the work is likely to start by next week in 17 municipal corporations and 60 Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)-designated towns in the state

UP: After losing son to liver cirrhosis, BJP MP, wife to launch campaign against alcohol abuse
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON NOV 02, 2020 11:09 AM IST
From December 3, Kishore and his wife Jaya Devi, a BJP lawmaker from Malihabad assembly segment, would administer a pledge to thousand young people to say no to liquor.

UP pushes for cow dung diyas this Diwali, income to be used for cow shelters
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON OCT 29, 2020 09:11 AM IST
The big promotion for the cow dung diyas would happen just ahead of Diwali when the Gau Seva Ayog plans to light one lakh diyas at Lucknow’s Jhoole Lal Vatika on the banks of river Gomti.

RS polls: 8 BJP candidates file nomination in UP; Varanasi lawyer springs surprise by filing papers at last minute
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON OCT 28, 2020 09:41 AM IST
The candidature of lawyer Prakash Bajaj was supported by 10 lawmakers from the SP.The move implies that there will be a contest for the 10th vacant RS seat from UP

BJP fields 8 candidates for Rajya Sabha polls in UP, avoids replay of 2018
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
PUBLISHED ON OCT 27, 2020 10:17 AM IST
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, former Ballia MP Neeraj Shekhar, party general secretary Arun Singh and former DGP Brij Lal among the BJP nominees for the Rajya Sabha election.

Bihar Assembly Election 2020: UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to begin campaign from today
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
PUBLISHED ON OCT 20, 2020 09:47 AM IST
Adityanath will address three rallies in Bihar, beginning with a public meeting in Ramgarh in Kaimur

Uttar Pradesh: In a first, BSP, SP, BJP, Congress field Brahmins for Deoria bypoll
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON OCT 15, 2020 12:20 PM IST
According to political leaders and poll observers, an all-Brahmin cast of major political players would make it a ‘must watch’ election

Hathras case exposes rift among local BJP leaders; its Rajvir vs Rajvir
By Hemendra Chaturvedi and Manish Chandra Pandey | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Agra/Lucknow
UPDATED ON OCT 11, 2020 08:23 AM IST
The Hathras case has led to a sharp divide in opinions and brought the caste differences to the fore.

‘Spontaneous act’: All 32 acquitted 28 years later
By Pawan Dixit and Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 01, 2020 06:26 AM IST
The verdict by judge SK Yadav ended a 28-year-long legal fight, and brought relief to senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh and Uma Bharti, but raised serious questions about the investigation into a high-profile case

Babri demolition case: LK Advani, 31 others acquitted; no local testified
By Pawan Dixit and Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON SEP 30, 2020 04:28 PM IST
Ruling out the criminal conspiracy theory, the court held that the demolition on December 6, 1992 was a spontaneous act and not pre-planned.

Babri demolition case verdict today, D-day for Advani and 31 others
By Pawan Dixit and Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON SEP 30, 2020 02:07 PM IST
Babri demolition case: LK Advani, MM Joshi,Uma Bharti and Kalyan Singh may attend via video conference.

Nadda’s team has 11 leaders from UP as party eyes 2022 state polls
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON SEP 27, 2020 02:48 PM IST
A party leader said the new Nadda team had good balance of regional and caste representation.

Uttar Pradesh may fund religious travel of 1.5 crore labourers from state
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON SEP 17, 2020 01:18 AM IST
The scheme is likely to be announced by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on November 10, the birth anniversary of Dattopant Thengadi.

Ayodhya’s Ram ki Paidi set for major facelift by this Diwali
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
PUBLISHED ON SEP 04, 2020 10:12 AM IST
The project is a part of the town’s makeover as the state government seeks to make its a major religious tourism hub over the next decade

Lucknow, Agra malls get licence to sell global liquor brands
By Manish Chandra Pandey | Hindustan Times, Lucknow
UPDATED ON SEP 02, 2020 09:44 AM IST
Out of the 10 applications made to the excise department, the first four licences have been cleared for Agra and Lucknow