'The people rejected you': Supreme Court dismisses Jan Suraaj plea challenging Bihar election results

The petition 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.

Jan Suraaj, which made its electoral debut in the polls, contested 238 seats but failed to win a single constituency.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, however, declined to entertain the plea and questioned the party’s decision to approach the apex court directly.

“How many votes did your party get? The people rejected you and you use this judicial platform to gain publicity?” the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi also questioned the maintainability of the petition under Article 32, asking why the party had not first approached the Bihar High Court.

“It is not a pan-India issue. There is a High Court in the state—avail that remedy,” the bench said, while directing the petitioner to seek relief there.

Jan Suraaj had argued that the then-Bihar government violated the Model Code of Conduct by disbursing ₹10,000 to one woman per family during the election period.

The party alleged that the scheme benefited between 25 and 35 lakh women voters, amounting to “corrupt practices” and undermining the fairness of the electoral process.

Appearing for Jan Suraaj, senior advocate C U Singh said the challenge was not limited to corrupt practices alone but also concerned the alleged disturbance of the Model Code of Conduct across the state.

The court, however, observed that to establish corrupt practices, it must be shown that a specific candidate was directly benefited.

“It has to be shown in an election that a particular candidate has been benefited and that it amounts to corrupt practice,” the bench said.

The Supreme Court also noted that while it is examining the broader issue of election freebies in a separate case, it would prefer to hear petitions filed by public-spirited individuals rather than political parties that had suffered electoral defeat.

Kishor had earlier claimed that the ₹10,000 payment influenced voter behaviour and contributed to the NDA’s landslide victory. In an interview with NDTV after the results, he alleged that the ruling alliance “bought votes with cash,” a charge denied by the government.

The Jan Suraaj had predicted a “sink or swim” outcome for its first electoral outing.

While the party initially led in four seats during early counting, it eventually finished with zero seats and a vote share of under four per cent.