Patna: In a major pre-poll announcement, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Grand Alliance chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday, November 4, unveiled a series of welfare promises.
This includes a one-time financial aid of Rs 30,000 for women and free electricity for farmers, as campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections nears its end.
Rs 30,000 Support for Women Under ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojana’
Addressing a press conference, Yadav said that if the Grand Alliance forms the government, women from financially weaker and backward communities would receive Rs 30,000 annually under the 'Mai Bahin Maan Yojana'. The scheme, jointly endorsed by the RJD and Congress in their poll manifesto, aims to provide Rs 2,500 per month to eligible beneficiaries.
“After we form the government, on Makar Sankranti (January 14) we will deposit Rs 30,000 for an entire year into the accounts of women under the Mai Bahin Maan Yojana,” Yadav said.
The announcement came just a day after the Nitish Kumar-led government credited Rs 10,000 each into the bank accounts of 25 lakh women under its self-employment initiative, a move widely viewed as a counter to the Opposition’s women-focused campaign.
Free Power and Better Crop Prices for Farmers
Yadav also pledged free electricity for irrigation and better procurement prices for key crops, promising stronger support for Bihar’s agricultural sector. Projecting confidence ahead of the polls, the Leader of Opposition said the electorate was “in a mood for change” and would vote out the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The RJD-led Grand Alliance, comprising the Congress and Left parties, has sought to position women and farmers at the centre of its campaign narrative. Meanwhile, political parties in Bihar are making their last-minute efforts to appeal to crucial voter groups before the state heads to the polls on November 6.
