Patna: Jan Suraaj, the party founded by poll strategist Prashant Kishor, has made a startling allegation in the wake of Bihar’s assembly election results: it claims that ₹14,000 crore from a World Bank loan was diverted by the state government for election-related cash transfers.
Speaking to the media, Jan Suraaj’s national president Uday Singh accused the Nitish Kumar-led government of “splurging” public money to buy votes. According to Singh, “even money raised through a World Bank loan of ₹14,000 crore has been diverted for doles and freebies.”
Singh said that in the months before the polls, nearly ₹40,000 crore was spent by the government, and some of this came from World Bank funds.
A central part of Jan Suraaj’s allegation concerns the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which ₹10,000 was transferred to the bank accounts of around 1.25 crore women ahead of the elections.
Pavan Verma, a Jan Suraaj spokesperson, claimed that of the ₹21,000 crore World Bank funds meant for other development projects, ₹14,000 crore was “taken out one hour before the model code of conduct” came into force and distributed to women as cash.
Verma acknowledged that this is “our information” and added: “If it is wrong, I seek forgiveness. But if it is true, then the question arises … how far this is ethical.” He also argued that, even if legally permissible, diverting funds in this way raises serious moral questions.
Uday Singh further suggested that fear of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) returning to power — what he described as a fear of “jungle raj” — drove several voters to back the NDA, despite having sympathies for Jan Suraaj.
Jan Suraaj’s leaders also warned that the alleged diversion has long-term financial consequences. According to Verma, Bihar’s public debt has ballooned to ₹4,06,000 crore, with daily interest obligations of around ₹63 crore, leaving the treasury under strain.
Despite their strong rhetoric, Jan Suraaj has not yet provided documentary proof of the diversion. There has been no immediate response from the Bihar government or the NDA on these allegations.
The claims come just after the party’s poor performance in its debut election: Jan Suraaj failed to win a single seat in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, even as the NDA secured a landslide majority.
