The Congress party, on Saturday, September 27, 2025, sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding a government scheme that provides ₹10,000 to 75 lakh women in Bihar. The opposition party alleged that the Prime Minister is now engaging in “vote revdi” (distribution of freebies for votes) alongside “vote chori” (vote theft).
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary for communications, highlighted that Prime Minister Modi had previously critiqued the Congress government in Karnataka for its Griha Lakshmi scheme, which offers ₹2,000 monthly to 1.3 crore women. Yet, according to Ramesh, Modi is now implementing a similar approach himself.
In a post shared on X, Mr. Ramesh reiterated that the Karnataka government has consistently provided ₹2,000 each month to 1.3 crore women through its Griha Lakshmi program over the past two years.
“The Prime Minister has been persistently criticizing this initiative,” Ramesh claimed.
“However, just yesterday, the Prime Minister announced a one-time payment for the women of Bihar—remarkably, only a few days before the election code of conduct is expected to take effect. The Congress leader stated in Hindi that, along with ‘vote chori,’ the Prime Minister is now also busy distributing ‘vote revri’ (election handouts). This, he asserted, is a clear act of desperation that the women of Bihar will undoubtedly recognize.”
Ramesh further declared that the “countdown for the Bihar government has already begun,” adding that “Nitish Kumar has now become a figure of the past—and once the election results are out, Prime Minister Modi will also become a thing of the past.”
On Friday, September 26, 2025, Prime Minister Modi virtually launched the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. This initiative saw 75 lakh women in the election-bound state of Bihar each receive ₹10,000 to support their self-employment and various livelihood activities.
The scheme, which is part of a ₹7,500-crore project by the NDA government in Bihar, aims to foster women’s economic empowerment. It begins with an initial financial injection of ₹10,000, with the potential to scale up to ₹2 lakh depending on the success and growth of the individual enterprises.
Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to take place later this year.