Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has accused the Bihar government of diverting Rs 14,000 crore of World Bank funds meant for development projects. The party claims the money was used to transfer Rs 10,000 each to 1.25 crore women voters before the Assembly polls. The leaders said this financial push influenced the election outcome and raised serious ethical concerns.
The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana transferred the amount directly into bank accounts just weeks before voting. Many analysts also believe the scheme played a major role in the NDA’s sweeping victory in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
‘Outcome of This Election Has Been Bought,’ Says Jan Suraaj
Jan Suraaj National President Uday Singh made the allegation during a press briefing on Saturday. He said, “The outcome of this election has effectively been bought. From June 21 until polling day, nearly Rs 40,000 crore was spent to secure this mandate. Using public money, they essentially purchased people’s votes.
I have also learned that funds received from the World Bank were used for these cash transfers.” Singh said Bihar’s weak economy could not recover such a huge amount. He warned that the government now had little money left for welfare schemes after the election.
Party Claims State Treasury Is ‘Almost Empty’
Jan Suraaj spokesperson Pavan Verma repeated the allegations. He said, “We have information, which could be wrong, also that the amount of Rs 10,000 given to women in the state was given from Rs 21,000 crores, which came from the World Bank for some other project. An hour before the moral code of conduct for the polls, Rs 14,000 crores were taken out and distributed to 1.25 crore women in the state.”
Verma questioned the ethics behind such diversion. He added, “If it is true, then the question arises as to how far this is ethical… You make promises, and the other party gives money, it is going to affect the voters differently”.
He also noted that Bihar’s public debt now stands at Rs 4.06 lakh crore, with the state paying Rs 63 crore in daily interest. He said the “treasury is empty”.
Jan Suraaj Fails to Win a Single Seat
The controversy comes soon after Jan Suraaj failed to win any of the 238 seats it contested. The party, launched by strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, had hoped to present itself as a credible alternative. But it faced a major setback as voters backed the NDA in large numbers.
NDA Sweeps as Opposition Struggles
The NDA won 202 seats, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party with 89. The JD(U) followed closely with 85 seats. The LJP(RV), led by Chirag Paswan, also performed strongly. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan suffered one of its worst defeats. The RJD won only 25 seats, while the Congress was reduced to six.
Opposition to Seek Global Scrutiny?
Party insiders say Jan Suraaj may approach international financial watchdogs to check whether funds given by global lenders can be legally used for pre-election cash transfers. They say the party wants the issue to spark a wider debate on how global development funds must be protected from political misuse.
