'Do not approach courts for publicity after losing elections': SC raps Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj
The Supreme Court strongly reprimanded Prashant Kishor for approaching the judiciary after losing the 2025 Bihar election. The bench said that candidates rejected by voters should not turn to courts to regain popularity. Kishor had alleged that a welfare scheme payment influenced the poll outcome.
The Supreme Court on Friday strongly criticised Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, observing that candidates should not rush to courts after losing elections. The bench remarked that those rejected by voters must not use the judiciary as a tool to regain popularity. The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the sharp observations while hearing Kishor's plea related to the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. "The public has rejected you, but now you are using the judicial platform to gain popularity... Do not approach courts for publicity after losing elections..." the CJI said.
Kishor had approached the Supreme Court alleging that the Women's Employment Scheme payments were transferred into beneficiaries' bank accounts just before voting, which he claimed influenced the election outcome. However, the Election Commission had refused to entertain his plea following which Kishor moved the top court.
What did the court say?
During the hearing, the bench firmly told Prashant Kishor that the democratic mandate must be respected. "When the people reject you, you should not use the court to gain popularity," the court said. They emphasised that the judiciary cannot be turned into a platform for political battles that have already been settled through the ballot. The bench refused to entertain the plea and directed the petitioners to approach the Patna High Court. After hearing the arguments presented by Jan Suraaj, the court made it clear that the plea lacked merit.
What Jan Suraaj alleged in court
Representing Jan Suraaj, senior advocate Chandra Uday Singh argued that while the Model Code of Conduct was in force, the government transferred ten thousand rupees each to women beneficiaries. He said this was done strategically and influenced voters, particularly women whose husbands were not income tax payers.
However, the CJI noted that the payments were part of an ongoing support initiative for women and were not irregular. The court pointed out that election petitions must target specific constituencies or incidents, but Jan Suraaj was seeking the cancellation of the entire election in a single petition. The bench observed that the plea did not meet the legal standards required to annul a state-wide election.
'This petition has no qualification'
The court questioned the sweeping nature of the demand and said, "In an election petition, you raise issues related to one election or one constituency. You are asking for the entire election to be cancelled in a single petition. It has no qualification." Advocates representing Jan Suraaj called the matter extremely serious and urged the Supreme Court to intervene and issue notice. However, the bench maintained that they would not issue any notice in this case.
Why Jan Suraaj wanted Bihar election 2025 cancelled
Jan Suraaj's petition alleged that the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 was influenced due to misuse of a welfare scheme. The party argued that the government transferred funds to women voters just before polling and that this amounted to an unfair advantage. The petition described the election as "illegal" and sought its complete cancellation.
What happened during Bihar Election 2025
Voting for the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 was conducted on November 6 and 11. Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the Women Employment Scheme started receiving funds from September 26. Transfers continued through October across different districts. The RJD had earlier complained to the Election Commission, urging it to stop these payments, arguing that it could sway voter sentiment.