Pavan Varma, spokesperson and a key strategist of Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj, alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government diverted World Bank funds intended for a different project and used them during the Bihar Assembly elections, distributing the money to women voters in the state.
₹10,000 was reportedly credited to the bank accounts of 1.25 crore women voters as part of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.
"The public debt in Bihar is at present 4,06,000 crores. The interest per day is 63 crores. The treasury is empty. We have information which could be wrong, also that the amount of ₹10,000 given to women in the state was given from ₹21,000 crores, which came from the World Bank for some other project. An hour before the moral code of conduct for the polls, ₹14,000 crores were taken out and distributed to 1.25 crore women in the state," ANI quoted him as saying.
He clarified that the allegation might or might not be accurate.
He mentioned, “As I have said, this is our information. If it is wrong, I seek forgiveness. But if it is true, then the question arises as to how far this is ethical. It is possible that, legally, you cannot do anything. The government can divert funds and later give explanations. Explanation will come after the election. There are upcoming polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and other BJP-ruled states. You make promises, and the other party gives money, it is going to affect the voters differently."
Pavan Varma also noted that rumours were circulating in Bihar claiming that if the NDA was not elected, the remaining funds would not be released. He added, “There are four crore women voters in Bihar, and 2.5 crores have not received the amount. The remaining women felt that if the NDA does not come to power, then we will not receive the benefit. Our ambitions being a new party were excessive, but our message was right and the response was good.”
Responding to a question on whether welfare initiatives like the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana would become the deciding factor in the elections, he noted that Prime Minister Modi has previously criticised the practice of offering freebies.
“PM Modi has himself criticised giving freebies. Maybe he had said it in the context of the Delhi Assembly and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Now what happened in Bihar?” he said.
He rejected the idea that the party’s weak performance in the Bihar Assembly elections was due to founder Prashant Kishor’s pledge to lift the liquor ban if elected.
Varma argued that the liquor prohibition was not being effectively enforced in the state, claiming that alcohol was readily available and even delivered to homes at inflated prices. He stated, “The withdrawal of the liquor ban would have been the issue if it had actually been in place in Bihar. Liquor is being sold at every nook and corner. It is being home delivered. It is being sold at higher prices. People are consuming it and paying more for it. Would that not affect women who have to run their homes?”
Varma attributed the party’s defeat to several factors, including the last-minute transfer of ₹10,000 and the ruling alliance’s outreach to women.
He added that, despite the so-called prohibition in Bihar, more than two lakh people, mostly from extremely backward Dalit communities, have been imprisoned for violating the liquor ban, many of whom cannot even afford bail.
Varma said, “People are consuming it and paying more for it. Would that not affect women who have to run their homes? People from extremely backward classes are jailed under the prohibitory law, who don’t even have the money to pay the bail… The reason for our loss was what Nitish Ji did for women and the last moment transfer of ₹10,000…”
The newly formed Jan Suraaj Party, launched by poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, suffered a significant blow in the 2025 Bihar Assembly Election, failing to win a single seat despite fielding candidates in nearly all 243 constituencies.
The ruling NDA secured 202 seats, achieving a three-fourths majority in the 243-member Assembly. This marks the second occasion on which the alliance has crossed the 200-seat threshold; in the 2010 elections, it had won 206 seats.
The Mahagathbandhan managed only 35 seats, with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning 25, the Congress six, the CPI(ML)(Liberation) two, the Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) one, and the CPI(M) one seat.
Meanwhile, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) secured five seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won one seat.
(With inputs from ANI)
