The Supreme Court declined to hear a writ petition from Jan Suraaj, led by Prashant Kishor, challenging the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. The petition sought fresh polls but was dismissed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant-led Bench. Jan Suraaj’s argument focused on the distribution of Rs 10,000 to women voters during the election period in Bihar, alleging a disruption of the level playing field.
Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, representing Jan Suraaj, highlighted concerns about the impact of the cash transfer scheme on the electoral process. The Supreme Court, however, expressed reluctance to entertain the petition, emphasizing that challenges to such schemes should be raised at the appropriate stage. The Bench noted that the petition lacked specific prayers against the cash transfer scheme itself.
The Supreme Court suggested that the petitioner approach the Patna High Court to address the issue of freebies during elections. While the Court acknowledged the broader issue of freebies in pending cases, it refused to entertain the present petition from a party that had lost the election. The petition by Jan Suraaj alleged that the distribution of funds to women voters violated the principles of fair elections and sought legal intervention to address the issue.
