'People Rejected You': SC Rejects Prashant Kishor-Led Party's Plea Challenging Bihar Elections

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 12:10 IST

Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned the maintainability of the petition, asking Jan Suraaj’s counsel how such claims could be raised directly before the apex court.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Jan Suraaj, the political party led by poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, challenging the outcome of the Bihar Assembly elections held in November last year.

Refusing to entertain the plea, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant made sharp remarks on the party’s electoral defeat, saying, “The people rejected you and now you are using this judicial platform to gain publicity?"

Justice Joymalya Bagchi also questioned the maintainability of the petition, asking Jan Suraaj’s counsel how such claims could be raised directly before the apex court.

The bench declined to hear the matter under Article 32 and asked the petitioner to approach the Bihar High Court instead.

Jan Suraaj had sought to have the election results declared null and void, alleging large-scale violations of the Model Code of Conduct by the ruling Janata Dal (United)–Bharatiya Janata Party alliance.

The party argued that the state government’s decision to disburse Rs 10,000 to one woman per family during the election period compromised the fairness of the polls.

According to the petition, the benefit was extended to an estimated 25–35 lakh women voters while the Model Code was in force, amounting to “corrupt practices" by the ruling coalition.

Kishor had earlier claimed that the JD(U) distributed crores of rupees per constituency and said the party should not have won more than 25 seats under normal circumstances.

In the election, however, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) emerged as the largest party, winning 85 seats, far exceeding both its 2015 tally and Kishor’s own predictions.

The Supreme Court noted that the broader issue of election freebies is already under its consideration in a separate case.

In earlier observations, the court had warned that competitive promises of financial benefits could push states towards fiscal distress and has referred the issue to a three-judge bench.

On Friday, the court said it was serious about examining the matter but would prefer petitions from “public-spirited" individuals rather than parties that had suffered a complete electoral defeat.

Jan Suraaj’s challenge follows a disappointing electoral debut for the party, which contested 238 seats but failed to win a single constituency, ending with a vote share of under four per cent.

Kishor, who had previously engineered successful campaigns for both the BJP and JD(U), had predicted a decisive outcome for his party, either a major breakthrough or total failure.

News india 'People Rejected You': SC Rejects Prashant Kishor-Led Party's Plea Challenging Bihar Elections

Read More