The Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a petition filed by the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), a political outfit founded by former election strategist Prashant Kishor, which challenged the validity of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. The party had demanded fresh elections, alleging that the state government misused a welfare scheme to influence voters during the poll period.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, heard the matter but refused to entertain it at the national level. The judges observed that the dispute was limited to one state and advised the petitioners to approach the Patna High Court instead. The court made it clear that state-specific election issues should first be examined by the respective High Court.

The Jan Suraaj Party had questioned the Bihar government’s decision to transfer ₹10,000 directly into the bank accounts of women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana after the election schedule had already been announced. According to the party, this move violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and unfairly influenced voters ahead of polling.

Under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, eligible women receive an initial financial assistance of ₹10,000 to encourage self-employment and small business activities. However, JSP alleged that releasing such funds during the election period amounted to inducement and disturbed the level playing field among political parties.

The petition also claimed that the Bihar government, despite the state’s weak financial position, distributed nearly ₹15,600 crore under the scheme just before the elections. JSP argued that this large-scale transfer of public money gave an undue advantage to the ruling alliance and harmed the fairness of the electoral process.

Citing Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, the party sought strict action and demanded fresh polls in the state. Article 324 empowers the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections, while Section 123 deals with corrupt electoral practices.

In the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP-led NDA retained power by winning 202 out of 243 seats. The opposition INDIA bloc managed to secure only 35 seats. The Jan Suraaj Party, however, failed to win a single seat, and most of its candidates lost their security deposits.