Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has charged the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government with diverting Rs 14,000 crore from a World Bank loan to fund populist schemes aimed at swaying the 2025 assembly elections. National President Uday Singh, speaking to reporters a day after the party's humiliating debut where it failed to win any seats, alleged that the funds were repurposed for "doles and freebies" to buy votes. He claimed the NDA splurged Rs 40,000 crore from June until the polls were announced, marking an "unprecedented" scale of public money misuse.

Singh specifically targeted the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which Rs 10,000 was transferred to over 1.25 crore women's bank accounts right up to the eve of voting, despite the model code of conduct. "This was enough to sway hand-to-mouth women voters," he said, adding that payments continued "till a day before voting," potentially violating electoral norms. He asserted the NDA would have been "decimated" without this strategy, crediting Jan Suraaj's Rs 2,000 old-age pension promise for forcing the government to hike benefits from Rs 700 to Rs 1,100 monthly.

Party spokesperson Pavan Varma amplified the claims, stating the diversion came from a Rs 21,000 crore World Bank tranche meant for development projects. "An hour before the model code kicked in, Rs 14,000 crore was withdrawn and distributed," Varma told ANI, calling it unethical even if legally defensible post-election. He admitted the information might be inaccurate but urged scrutiny, highlighting Bihar's Rs 4.06 lakh crore public debt and daily Rs 63 crore interest burden. "The treasury is empty—how ethical is this?" he questioned.

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Singh also blamed the NDA's landslide for fear-mongering about a "jungle raj" return under the RJD, diverting potential Jan Suraaj votes. Despite contesting 238 seats, the party drew a blank, with Singh noting many supporters opted for NDA out of apprehension. The allegations come amid Bihar's record 66% voter turnout in the two-phase polls on November 6 and 11, the highest since 1951.

The NDA, securing a thumping 202 seats in the 243-member assembly—BJP 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 5, RLM 4—has not responded to the charges. The Mahagathbandhan limped to 35 seats (RJD 25, Congress 6, others minimal), while AIMIM grabbed 5. As the controversy brews, it risks overshadowing Nitish Kumar's record tenth oath-taking, spotlighting ethical lapses in Bihar's high-stakes political arena.

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