Patna: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government of misusing a Rs 14,000 crore World Bank loan to influence the 2025 assembly elections.
A day after the party drew a blank in its electoral debut, Jan Suraaj national president Uday Singh told journalists on Saturday that the funds were redirected toward welfare handouts and freebies. Singh claimed the Nitish Kumar administration spent Rs 40,000 crore between June and the election announcement to “buy votes” using state resources.
“The spending was on an unprecedented scale. They even diverted Rs 14,000 crore from a World Bank loan meant for other purposes toward doles and freebies,” Singh alleged.
He pointed to the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana,’ which transferred Rs 10,000 directly into women’s bank accounts before the two-phase polls. Singh said payments continued until just before voting day, despite model code of conduct rules. “This was the first time people received money right up to the day before voting. It was enough to influence women from economically vulnerable backgrounds,” he said.
Singh argued that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which retained power in Bihar, would have suffered massive losses without this public fund expenditure. He noted that the government only increased monthly old-age pensions from Rs 700 to Rs 1,100 after Jan Suraaj promised Rs 2,000 pensions.
The former poll strategist also suggested that some Jan Suraaj supporters ultimately backed the NDA due to fears about a return to “jungle raj” under the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). “Though I’m not claiming there was any jungle raj, the fear existed. Many who might have supported us voted for the NDA because of that concern,” said Singh, a former BJP MP.
Jan Suraaj colleague Pavan Verma made similar accusations, claiming the money came from a Rs 21,000 crore World Bank allocation. Speaking to news agency ANI, Verma said Bihar’s public debt stands at Rs 4.06 lakh crore, with daily interest payments of Rs 63 crore.
“Our information, which may be incorrect, suggests the Rs 10,000 given to women came from Rs 21,000 crore meant for another World Bank project. Just one hour before the model code of conduct took effect, Rs 14,000 crore was withdrawn and distributed to 1.25 crore women,” Verma said.
He acknowledged the information might be wrong and sought forgiveness if so, but questioned the ethics if true. “The government can legally divert funds and provide explanations later. Those explanations will come after the election,” he added.
No NDA leaders or Bihar government officials have responded to the allegations.
NDA Sweeps Bihar Elections
The NDA captured 202 seats in the 243-member assembly. The BJP won 89 constituencies, JDU secured 85, Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) took 19, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha claimed five, and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha won four.
The RJD-led Opposition coalition, Mahagathbandhan, managed just 35 seats total. The RJD won only 25 seats—its second-worst result in Bihar after 2010. Congress dropped from 19 to six seats, CPI(ML)L secured two, CPI(M) won one, and CPI failed to win any.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM won five seats, while Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) failed to open its account.
Bihar conducted elections across two phases on November 6 and November 11, recording over 66 percent voter turnout—the highest in the state since 1951.
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