Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishor accuses NDA of using Jeevika Didis to threaten voters
Synopsis
Prashant Kishor has drawn a hard line ahead of the Bankipur bypoll, alleging that government-linked Jeevika Didis are being used to threaten women voters with welfare cutoffs if they don't back the NDA. With a 24-hour ultimatum to the Election Commission and the JJD now backing his candidacy, the contest is shaping up as a direct test of poll-conduct accountability in Bihar.
Key Takeaways
Prashant Kishor alleged on 26 July that Jeevika Didis — government-supported women workers — are being used to intimidate voters ahead of the Bankipur bypoll in Bihar .
Kishor claimed voters were told their food rations and pensions would be stopped if they did not vote for the BJP -led NDA .
Jan Suraaj has met the Election Commission of India twice and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for authorities to remove Jeevika Didis from poll work.
If no order is issued by Sunday, Kishor warned all Jan Suraaj leaders would stage a sit-in outside the ECI office on Monday .
Tej Pratap Yadav of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) announced his party's support for Kishor in the bypoll.
Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur bypoll candidate Prashant Kishor on Sunday, 26 July accused the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of deploying government-supported workers known as 'Jeevika Didis' to intimidate voters in the Bankipur Assembly constituency of Bihar. Kishor alleged the practice mirrors voter-pressure tactics he claimed were used during the November 2025 elections.
What Kishor Alleged
Addressing reporters in Patna, Kishor said a tweet by the Patna District Magistrate had triggered what he described as an 'objectionable practice.' According to Kishor, Jeevika Didis — women workers supported by government welfare programmes — were being used under the cover of voter awareness drives to visit homes and warn women voters that their food rations and pensions would be cut if they did not vote for the NDA or the BJP.
'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,' Kishor said.
Scale of Alleged Deployment
Kishor further alleged that Jeevika Didis from outside Patna — drawn from nearby districts — had also been deployed and assigned the task of 'threatening and alluring voters.' He described the operation as organised and systematic, not incidental.
He added that Jan Suraaj members had already met the Election Commission of India (ECI) twice over the matter and that his party would again meet the election observer on Sunday, giving authorities 24 hours to remove Jeevika Didis from any poll-related work.
Kishor's Ultimatum to Election Commission
Kishor demanded that the District Magistrate issue a formal order barring any woman associated with Jeevika — or any semi-government employee — from participating in election-related activities, in line with existing ECI rules. He warned that if no such order was issued by Sunday, he and all Jan Suraaj leaders would stage a sit-in protest outside the Election Commission's office on Monday.
'We will not tolerate the repetition of November 2025 polls,' Kishor asserted. He also claimed that the BJP was resorting to voter intimidation precisely because it anticipated a loss in the bypoll.
Janshakti Janata Dal Backs Kishor
In a separate development, Tej Pratap Yadav, National President of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), announced on Friday that his party would back Prashant Kishor in the by-election. Yadav said the decision was taken unanimously after internal party discussions.
'The members of our party and I have decided who to support. We are supporting Prashant Kishor,' Yadav said. The JJD's backing adds to the political weight behind Kishor's campaign as the bypoll approaches.
The Election Commission of India has not publicly responded to the allegations as of Sunday. How the ECI acts on Jan Suraaj's complaint in the next 24 hours is likely to shape the final days of campaigning in Bankipur.
Point of View
It would represent a structural misuse of state-backed social programmes for electoral coercion, not merely a campaign irregularity. The reference to November 2025 suggests this is not a one-off complaint but part of a pattern Kishor is building a case around. The Election Commission's response — or silence — in the next 24 hours will be the real story. A sit-in by a high-profile candidate outside the ECI office would escalate this well beyond a local bypoll dispute.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Prashant Kishor alleged ahead of the Bankipur bypoll?
Prashant Kishor has alleged that the BJP-led NDA is using Jeevika Didis — government-supported women workers — to visit homes and warn voters that their food rations and pensions will be cut if they do not vote for the NDA. He made the allegation on 26 July in Patna, calling it organised voter intimidation.
Who are Jeevika Didis and why does their role matter here?
Jeevika Didis are women workers associated with government-backed welfare and livelihood programmes in Bihar. Their alleged deployment in election outreach is significant because it would constitute a misuse of state-linked personnel for political purposes, which is prohibited under Election Commission of India rules.
What action has Jan Suraaj demanded from the Election Commission?
Jan Suraaj has demanded that the Patna District Magistrate issue a formal order barring Jeevika Didis and all semi-government employees from participating in poll-related activities. The party has given the ECI 24 hours to act, failing which Kishor and party leaders plan to stage a sit-in protest outside the ECI office on Monday.
Who is supporting Prashant Kishor in the Bankipur bypoll?
Tej Pratap Yadav, National President of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD), announced on Friday that his party would back Prashant Kishor in the Bankipur by-election. The decision was taken unanimously after internal party discussions.
How does this compare to the November 2025 Bihar elections?
Kishor has explicitly referenced the November 2025 elections, alleging the same practice of using Jeevika Didis for voter pressure occurred then. He framed the current situation as a repetition of that pattern, which Jan Suraaj says it is determined to prevent this time around.
