In a significant announcement on Wednesday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav dismissed any notions of internal strife within the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), assuring the public that all outstanding issues would be resolved by the following day. Speaking at a press conference, he confidently stated, “There are no disputes. You will get all the answers tomorrow.”
Yadav, who previously served as Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, then pivoted to a major policy initiative focused on the state’s contractual workforce. He highlighted the exploitation faced by these ‘samvida karmi’ who perform essential government duties but are often terminated without just cause. “All these employees working in the state will be made permanent. We will work to give them the status of permanent government staffers,” he pledged, aiming to bring an end to their precarious employment.
Emphasizing the need for economic justice in Bihar, the Leader of Opposition further announced two ambitious welfare schemes: BETI and MAA. He elaborated on their objectives: “We will bring the BETI and MAA Yojana. B for Benefit, E for Education, T for Training and I for Income. This means that from the moment our daughters are born, a separate program will be run for them until they earn income.” For the MAA Yojana, he explained, “M for Makaan (house), A for ‘Ann’ (food) and A for ‘Aamdani’ (income). What Bihar needs now is economic justice.”
These announcements come as Yadav prepares to meet senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot in Patna to finalize seat-sharing arrangements among the alliance partners. A joint news conference is anticipated on Thursday. Echoing Yadav’s sentiments, Gehlot, upon his arrival in Patna, assured reporters that the Mahagathbandhan remains united. He clarified that minor disagreements over a few seats in the 243-member alliance are a normal and expected part of any large coalition, not an indication of deep-seated conflict.