Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishor alleges NDA threatening voters through ‘Jeevika Didis’

Patna, July 26 (IANS) Jan Suraaj founder and party candidate for the upcoming Bankipur bypoll in Bihar, Prashant Kishor, on Sunday, accused the BJP-led NDA of “using Jeevika Didis” to “intimidate” voters in the Assembly constituency.

Addressing reporters in Patna, Kishor said: “The official tweet by the Patna District Magistrate has once again led to the same objectionable practice that took place in November 2025 (election). Under the pretext of voter awareness, ‘Jeevika Didis’ — who are government-supported workers — are being used to reach out to women and tell them that if they do not vote for the NDA or the BJP, their government benefits, including food rations and pensions, will be stopped.”

“Yesterday, we received this information throughout the day about how ‘Jeevika Didis’ are holding meetings and even visiting door to door to threaten voters. Making the ‘Jeevika Didis’ a part of the election amounts to cheating with the people of Bihar and democracy,” he added.

The Jan Suraaj founder further alleged that Jeevika Didis from not only Patna, but even from nearby areas, have been deployed and given this responsibility to “threaten and allure voters”.

“Our party members have met the Election Commission twice; today we will again meet the observer and will give them 24 hours to remove Jeevika Didis from poll-related work,” he mentioned.

Prashant Kishor underlined that the District Magistrate has to pass an order stating that any woman associated with ‘Jeevika’, or any other semi-government employee, cannot participate in election-related activities, as per the rules of the Election Commission.

He warned that if the letter, carrying this clarity, is not issued on Sunday, then on Monday all the party leaders, including him, will stage a sit-in front of the Election Commission’s office.

“We will not tolerate the repetition of November 2025 polls,” Kishor asserted.

He claimed that the BJP is going to lose the bypoll here; “that is why it has resorted to intimidating voters”.

Meanwhile, National President of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) Tej Pratap Yadav has announced his party’s support for Prashant Kishor.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Tej Pratap Yadav said that after internal discussions, his party had unanimously decided to back Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor in the by-election.

“The members of our party and I have decided who to support. We are supporting Prashant Kishor,” he said.

–IANS

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