[5] He took part in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and was booked under the National Security Act by the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led state government.

He received the portfolio of Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development the following year in the Kalyan Singh ministry.

[6] Ahead of the 2014 Indian general election, Bharatiya Janata Party announced that Pandey would contest from the Chandauli constituency of Purvanchal.

[7] He was elected to the Lok Sabha after defeating his nearest rival Anil Maurya of the Bahujan Samaj Party by a margin of approximately 150,000 votes.

[8] On 5 July 2016, in a major cabinet reshuffle, Pandey took the oath of office as Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development in the First Modi ministry.