Sun Nov 16 03:31:09 UTC 2025: Summary:

Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party alleges that the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government misused Rs 14,000 crore from a World Bank fund, diverting it to dole out freebies and sway voters ahead of the 2025 assembly elections. The party claims this misuse, along with the fear of RJD’s return, helped the NDA secure a victory. They point to schemes like the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana’ as evidence of the government’s attempts to buy votes. Similar allegations were also put forward by a party colleague, Pavan Verma. The NDA, led by the BJP, won the election securing 202 seats, while the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan only managed 35.

News Article:

Bihar Government Accused of Misusing World Bank Funds to Influence Election

Patna, Bihar – The Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing serious allegations of diverting Rs 14,000 crore from a World Bank fund to influence voters in the recent 2025 assembly elections. Jan Suraaj Party, founded by former poll strategist Prashant Kishor, made the claim following their unsuccessful debut in the election.

Uday Singh, national president of Jan Suraaj Party, stated that the funds were used to distribute freebies and sway voters, citing schemes like the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana’ as evidence. According to Uday Singh, since June, up to the announcement of the polls, the Nitish Kumar government spent Rs 40,000 crore to purchase votes of the people through public money. He further claimed that Rs 14,000 crore of the World Bank loan had been diverted for such purposes.

Pavan Verma, another member of Jan Suraaj party, echoed the concerns, suggesting that the money came from a Rs 21,000 crore World Bank fund originally intended for other projects.

The allegations come after the NDA, led by the BJP, secured a decisive victory in the Bihar assembly elections, winning 202 out of 243 seats. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, on the other hand, managed to secure only 35 seats. According to Jan Suraaj party, one of the reasons was that the fear of the return of jungle raj under the RJD made their voters end up siding with the NDA.

As of the time of reporting, there has been no official response from the Bihar government or any NDA leaders regarding the allegations. The accusations are likely to fuel political tensions in the state and could potentially lead to further investigations.

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