{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "BJP Accuses Prashant Kishor's Campaign of Crore-Rupee Overspending, Demands ED Probe in Bankipur Bypoll",
  "summary": "A BJP delegation has filed a complaint against Prashant Kishor with the Election Commission ahead of the Bankipur bypoll, accusing him of spending crores of rupees on social media campaigning and demanding an ED investigation.",
  "content": "Bihar's political temperature has spiked over the Bankipur assembly bypoll after a Bharatiya Janata Party delegation walked into the Election Commission's office on Tuesday to file a formal complaint against Prashant Kishor, the founder of Jan Suraaj and the party's candidate from Bankipur. The party has gone a step further, demanding that the Enforcement Directorate, or ED, be brought in to investigate the entire affair, turning what began as an electoral dispute into a matter for India's financial crime watchdog.\n\nWho carried the complaint to the Election Commission\nThe BJP delegation included former Union minister Shahnawaz Hussain, minister Mithilesh Tiwari, MLA Jeevesh Mishra, Janak Ram and several other party leaders. After meeting Election Commission officials, they alleged that Prashant Kishor is bypassing campaign spending rules and pouring crores of rupees into social media promotion. Speaking to reporters afterward, the leaders framed it as more than a code of conduct violation, calling it a question about the fairness of the entire electoral process.\n\nA Rs 40 lakh cap, but an alleged crore-rupee spend\nThe BJP leaders argued before the Election Commission that any candidate contesting an assembly bypoll can legally spend no more than Rs 40 lakh, yet Prashant Kishor is allegedly spending far beyond that limit, running into crores, on his social media campaign. The party claims this is being achieved through a large network of fake social media accounts and paid influencers. According to the leaders, each video is allegedly being paid for at rates between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000, an arrangement they say is designed to tilt the electoral atmosphere in his favour.\n\nTwo companies, one shared address\nThe BJP named two companies, Simple Sense Analytics Private Limited and News Lighthouse, as the entities allegedly running this social media operation. The party claims both companies share a registered address inside a single premises in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, and that the same address is also registered to Vedhas Ventures Private Limited, a company belonging to Prashant Kishor's wife. The leaders alleged that large sums for the campaign are being routed through these companies. No investigating agency has yet made public any official report confirming these claims, meaning the allegations currently rest solely on the BJP's own submission.\n\nAccounts traced to London and Vasant Kunj\nEducation minister Mithilesh Tiwari went further, alleging that several social media accounts linked to Prashant Kishor's campaign are being operated from outside the country. He claimed some accounts show their location as London, while some activity is alleged to be run out of Vasant Kunj in Delhi. Mithilesh Tiwari said these foreign-located accounts, along with an alleged bot network, are being used in an attempt to sway voters' thinking ahead of the bypoll.\n\nWhat happens next, ED demand now on the table\nThe BJP delegation has told the Election Commission that the entire matter needs a thorough probe, and that the Enforcement Directorate should be brought in if required. The party says the source of the crores of rupees allegedly being spent on the campaign must be traced. So far, neither the Election Commission nor Prashant Kishor or Jan Suraaj has issued any official response to these allegations, but the dispute has already added fresh heat to the political atmosphere ahead of the Bankipur bypoll.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe dispute doesn't directly hit anyone's wallet, but it touches on how transparent election campaigning is.\n\n• Across India: If an ED probe is ordered, it could sharpen the wider debate over monitoring social media election spending and fake accounts.\n• In Bihar: The row could directly shape campaigning around the Bankipur bypoll and influence how voters view the candidates involved.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. What has the BJP accused Prashant Kishor of?\nThe BJP alleges that Prashant Kishor is breaching the election spending limit by spending crores of rupees on his social media campaign.\n\n2. What is the spending limit for an assembly bypoll candidate?\nAny candidate contesting an assembly bypoll can legally spend a maximum of Rs 40 lakh.\n\n3. Which companies has the BJP named?\nThe BJP has named Simple Sense Analytics Private Limited and News Lighthouse, claiming their registered address matches that of Vedhas Ventures Private Limited.\n\n4. What is being claimed about the social media accounts?\nThe BJP claims some accounts are operated from London, while some activity is allegedly run from Vasant Kunj in Delhi.\n\n5. Who was part of the BJP delegation?\nThe delegation included Shahnawaz Hussain, Mithilesh Tiwari, Jeevesh Mishra, Janak Ram and several other leaders.\n\n6. Has the ED launched a probe yet?\nSo far the BJP has only demanded an investigation; neither the ED nor the Election Commission has issued any official confirmation.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/politics/bankipur-upachunava-men-karoron-ke-kharcha-ka-vivada-bjp-ne-prashant-kishor-para-lagae-gnbhira-aropa-9504",
  "category": "Politics",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-21",
  "tags": [
    "Prashant Kishor",
    "Jan Suraaj",
    "Bankipur bypoll",
    "BJP",
    "Election Commission",
    "ED probe",
    "Bihar election"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}