Supreme Court Dismisses Jan Suraaj Plea on Bihar Election Results

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea by Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj challenging the Bihar Election results, calling the petition misplaced. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned the intent behind invoking Article 32. “The people rejected you, and you use this judicial platform to gain publicity?” the Chief Justice said, signalling that election disputes should first be taken to the Bihar High Court.

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Bench Directs Party to Bihar High Court

Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the matter lacked pan-India significance and belonged before the Bihar High Court. “What is the logic of not going to the High Court?” the bench asked, adding that remedies exist at the state level. The court underlined that claims of violations must show how specific candidates benefited, setting a high bar for proving “corrupt practices” in election challenges.

Jan Suraaj Flags Alleged Freebie Violations

Jan Suraaj argued that the ruling BJP-JDU alliance violated the Model Code of Conduct by disbursing Rs 10,000 to one woman per family during the campaign period. Senior Advocate CU Singh said the conduct warranted judicial review. 

The Supreme Court responded that allegations must demonstrate direct electoral benefit to individual candidates to qualify as corrupt practices under election law.

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Kishor Reiterates Claims After Rout

In an NDTV interview with Rahul Kanwal, Prashant Kishor alleged the Rs 10,000 payout “was enough to sway votes” and accused the BJP-JDU of “buying” votes. He claimed crores were dispersed per constituency. Jan Suraaj made its debut in the Bihar Election, contested 238 seats, and finished with zero wins and under four percent vote share.

Conclusion: Legal Thresholds and Political Accountability

The Supreme Court has established stricter standards through its current election petition procedures, which differ from previous court assessments of poll freebie programs that showed danger to fiscal stability. 

The correct legal procedures of Jan Suraaj must proceed through the Bihar High Court after its transfer from another jurisdiction. The episode demonstrates how courts become more cautious when handling political cases while showing why current evidence requirements have become essential for courts to use when they decide between electoral responsibility and institutional limits.

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