Lagatar24 Desk
Patna: In a major post-election controversy, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of spending ₹40,000 crore to “buy” its majority in the Bihar Assembly elections. The party alleged that the NDA misused funds, including money from a World Bank loan, to influence voters in the run-up to polling day.
Allegations Of Vote Buying
Jan Suraaj’s national president Uday Singh claimed that the NDA’s landslide victory was not due to its performance but to massive financial manipulation. “If this majority had been earned through good governance, we would have welcomed it. But ₹40,000 crore was spent to buy votes between June 21 and the day of polling,” Singh said, adding that even women’s bank accounts were credited with money on the eve of voting.
He asserted that this was the first time in the country’s history such large-scale voter bribery had occurred. “The government diverted ₹14,000 crore from a World Bank-funded project for cash transfers used to purchase votes,” he alleged, calling it a betrayal of Bihar’s future.
Jan Suraaj’s Vote Share Disappointment
Uday Singh also admitted disappointment over the party’s performance, noting that while Jan Suraaj expected around 15% of the vote, it managed to secure only 4%. He alleged that some of the party’s supporters shifted allegiance to the NDA to prevent Tejashwi Yadav from coming to power.
Warning To The New Government
Despite the allegations, Singh congratulated the NDA for its victory but urged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not to include corrupt or tainted ministers in the new government. He called on the administration to set up industries to prevent migration and said his party would closely monitor the government’s work.
“The amount of money used to win this election is far beyond what Bihar’s economy can sustain,” he warned, demanding a full inquiry into the alleged misuse of funds.
