Rajdeep Sardesai, a prominent Indian journalist and political analyst, has levied sharp criticism against the recent state elections in Bihar, making the sensational claim that the contest was a ‘vote-bought election.’ Sardesai presented his personal analysis in a video that has since gone viral across social media platforms.
The journalist argued that even setting aside allegations of vote rigging, his opinion is that votes were demonstrably purchased in the Bihar polls. He posed a rhetorical question: if one can bid for votes, why would they need to resort to stealing them?
Sardesai detailed the alleged mechanism, claiming that Rs. 10,000 per person was deposited into the bank accounts of 14 million women under the guise of a ‘Chief Minister’s employment scheme.’ Crucially, he pointed out that this action was carried out during the election campaign period, constituting a clear violation of the Election Code of Conduct which he views as an illegal maneuver.
The journalist did not spare the regulatory body, stating that the Election Commission (EC) was “compromised” throughout the period. He refuted the EC’s reported justification—that the payout was part of a pre-existing scheme—by questioning whether an announcement to give Rs. 10,000 to every woman just one week before the election could truthfully be called a routine scheme. While acknowledging that the move might be technically defensible by some, he firmly labeled it as “morally wrong.”
Sardesai noted that women already favored Chief Minister Nitish Kumar due to his previous initiatives, and the Rs. 10,000 bonus proved to be a decisive factor in the election, where the BJP and its allies secured a stunning victory with 202 out of 243 seats.
