Jan Suraaj Blames ‘Fear of Jungle Raj’ for Poll Debacle

• Jan Suraaj admits fear of RJD’s “jungle raj” drove undecided voters to the NDA.
• Uday Singh says November 11 Delhi blast polarised Seemanchal voters.
• Party disappointed with 4% vote share but vows to oppose NDA.
• Singh alleges massive pre-poll spending by Nitish govt to influence voters.

GG News Bureau
Patna, 15th Nov: A day after the Bihar Assembly election results were declared, the Jan Suraaj Party acknowledged that fear among voters played a decisive role in its failure to win a single seat. Party president and former MP Uday Singh said at a press conference that the belief that the RJD’s return would bring back “jungle raj” drove many undecided voters towards the NDA.

“I can say there was fear of the return of jungle raj under the RJD… Many people, who would have given us a chance, ended up voting for the NDA out of that fear,” Singh said, adding that his criticism was directed only at the RJD and not the Congress or other components of the Mahagathbandhan.

Singh also cited the November 11 Delhi blast, which occurred just a day before polling in Seemanchal, as a factor that influenced voter behaviour. “I was in the Seemanchal region and the incident did lead to polarisation of votes,” he said. He noted that despite outreach efforts, the party did not receive the expected support from Muslim voters. “Our Muslim brethren did not repose enough trust in us… But we are sure they will support us in the long run.”

Despite a spirited state-wide campaign led by Prashant Kishor and strong traction among young and upper-caste voters on issues like jobs and migration, Jan Suraaj secured only around four per cent of the vote. Singh said the party was disappointed but remained undeterred. “Though we have not won even a single seat, we will keep opposing the ruling NDA,” he said.

Singh accused the Nitish Kumar government of using public funds to influence the electorate in the months leading up to the polls. “Since June, till polls were announced, Rs 40,000 crore were splurged to purchase votes… Even money raised through a World Bank loan of Rs 14,000 crore has been diverted for doles and freebies,” he alleged. He also questioned the timing of cash transfers under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, claiming that payments continued until a day before voting. He said the promised Rs 2 lakh assistance to women now required close monitoring.

Rejecting the INDIA bloc’s allegations of large-scale voter list deletions during the Special Intensive Revision, Singh said most deletions were of people who had died or migrated. “Even if there were a few anomalies, these could not have been on a scale large enough to make much of a difference,” he said.

Asked whether Prashant Kishor would exit politics now that JD(U) had crossed the 25-seat threshold he had set for himself, Singh replied, “You should ask this question to Kishor only.”

The ruling NDA swept the Bihar elections, winning over 200 seats — more than three-fourths of the Assembly. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, and along with JD(U), achieved nearly an 85% strike rate in the seats they contested.