With Bihar’s upcoming Assembly elections drawing near, Opposition Leader Tejashwi Yadav has reignited his campaign against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, publicly questioning his age and health. Yadav is keenly reminding voters about the comprehensive welfare programs the Opposition’s grand alliance, the mahagathbandhan, has pledged for the state’s Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs).
“Nitish Kumar is simply not capable of leading Bihar anymore. He has aged, and our state desperately needs accelerated development. It’s time to forge a new Bihar,” Mr. Yadav declared emphatically at the ‘Karpoori Ati Pichhda Adhikar Samvad’ (Karpoori Extremely Backward Rights Dialogue), held at Patna’s Veterinary College ground. This impassioned speech underscores the significance of the EBC demographic, which, according to the 2022 Bihar caste survey, constitutes a substantial 36.01% of the population, making it the largest caste group in the state.
Continuing his offensive, Mr. Yadav accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of exploiting the EBCs. “They didn’t just use them; they outright cheated them, treating them merely as a vote bank,” he asserted. Yadav pledged that a Rashtriya Janata Dal-led mahagathbandhan government would transform these communities into a “power bank,” confidently stating that “change is inevitable” for Bihar in this election cycle.
Just two days prior, on September 25, Mr. Yadav had unveiled the ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojna’ (Mother-Sister Respect Scheme) at a similar event in Patna, the ‘Ati Pichhda Nyay Sankalp’ (Extremely Backward Justice Resolve). He announced, “If our alliance forms the government, this scheme will be implemented throughout Bihar. This time, everyone desires change, and change will certainly come.” This initiative proposes a monthly financial aid of ₹2,500 to financially disadvantaged women, should the mahagathbandhan secure victory.
Yadav further criticized the NDA government, labeling it a “nakalchi” (copycat) administration that “lacks vision” for merely adopting programs previously proposed by his own party.
In a parallel development on September 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the state-funded ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojna’. This scheme saw a direct transfer of ₹10,000 into the bank accounts of 75 lakh women, totaling a staggering ₹7,500 crore. Notably, over a quarter of Bihar’s four crore women have already registered for this initiative.
Later that day, Congress leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi addressed women at her party’s Patna headquarters in Sadaqat Ashram and a public rally in Motihari, East Champaran. She pledged that a mahagathbandhan government would allocate 3-5 decimals of land in the name of all landless women across the state.
Commenting on the flurry of promises, political analyst N.K. Choudhary quipped, “Even as the monsoon season retreats in Bihar, political parties in the election-bound state are showering voters with incentives. It remains to be seen what electoral dividends these efforts will yield.”
Concurrently, Dharmendra Pradhan, the recently appointed Bihar in-charge for the Bharatiya Janata Party, spearheaded a door-to-door campaign in Patna alongside other party leaders on Saturday, aiming for direct voter engagement. Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrapped up his two-day state visit with a public address in Forbesganj, located in Araria’s Seemanchal district. There, he made a firm commitment to “oust every infiltrator” from Bihar, a statement particularly resonant in a region where Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, and Katihar collectively hold a significant Muslim population, representing approximately 65% of the local electorate.