The Jan Suraaj Party, founded by strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, has moved the Supreme Court of India challenging the results of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 and seeking fresh polls in the state.
In a writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the party has questioned the direct transfer of ₹10,000 to women voters under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana during the subsistence of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Jan Suraaj Party has alleged that the inclusion of new beneficiaries and the disbursal of funds during the election period amounted to an unfair electoral practice.
The petition seeks a direction to the Election Commission of India to declare the Bihar Assembly election results “null and void” and conduct fresh elections. It also urges the Commission to initiate action under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, which deals with corrupt electoral practices.
According to the petition, nearly 25–35 lakh women voters received ₹10,000 ahead of the polls, which the party claims violated constitutional provisions including Articles 14, 21, 112, 202, and 324. The party has further objected to the deployment of around 1.8 lakh women beneficiaries from Jeevika self-help groups at polling booths, calling the move illegal.
The Jan Suraaj Party has also sought comprehensive guidelines on freebies and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, recommending that welfare schemes should not be implemented within six months of elections to ensure a level playing field and free and fair polls.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.
In the recently concluded Bihar elections, the BJP-led NDA retained power by winning 202 of the 243 assembly seats, while the INDIA bloc secured 35 seats. The Jan Suraaj Party failed to win any seat, with most of its candidates forfeiting their deposits.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
