Still recovering from its significant defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party has accused the NDA of misusing World Bank funds. Party spokesperson Pavan Verma told ANI that money intended for a different World Bank-backed project was instead handed out to women voters during the election period.

According to Verma, ₹10,000 was deposited into the accounts of 1.25 crore women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. He further added that Bihar’s public debt has reached ₹4,06,000 crore, with daily interest payments of ₹63 crore, leaving the state treasury strained.

Verma claimed that the ₹10,000 distributed to each beneficiary came from a ₹21,000 crore World Bank allocation meant for another initiative. He alleged that just an hour before the model code of conduct took effect, ₹14,000 crore was redirected and distributed, though he admitted the information might not be fully verified.

He questioned the ethical implications if the allegations prove true, suggesting that governments can reroute funds during polls and justify them later. Verma said that rumours circulated claiming women would not receive the remaining money if the NDA failed to return to power. Out of four crore eligible women, 2.5 crore reportedly did not receive the benefit and feared losing out if the ruling alliance lost.

Commenting on whether welfare schemes influenced the election outcome, Verma pointed out that Prime Minister Modi had previously criticised freebies, yet similar tactics were visible in Bihar. He also rejected suggestions that Jan Suraaj’s poor performance was linked to Prashant Kishor’s stance on lifting the liquor ban, noting that illegal alcohol sales persist and disproportionately affect households run by women.

Verma concluded that the party’s defeat stemmed from multiple factors, including the last-minute cash transfers and the government’s focus on women-centric policies.