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Women voters key in Bihar, Tejashwi counters NDA’s ₹10k cash dole with ₹30k promise
MGB CM face directly challenges NDA’s recent Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, which provides grant of ₹10,000 to help women start small businesses
Battle for the women's voter base has intensified in Bihar just on the eve of the first voting day, centered on rival cash-transfer schemes. Countering the ruling National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) recent financial grant of ₹10,000 to women, the main opposition Mahagathbandhan's (MGB) chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, has pitched thrice that amount for “long-term economic relief”.
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MGB's ₹30,000 annual promise
Tejashwi Yadav announced that if the RJD-Congress+ alliance forms the government, they will transfer ₹30,000 into the accounts of women annually, under a “Mai Bahin Maan Yojana”. He said the deposit is planned for January 14, coinciding with Makar Sankranti, and is intended to provide relief during the time of “extreme inflation”. Yadav highlighted that over five years, the scheme would provide ₹1.5 lakh to beneficiaries.
This directly challenges the NDA’s recent Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, which provides an initial financial grant of ₹10,000 to help women start small businesses.
Tejashwi Yadav questioned the viability of the NDA's offering: “Tell me, how can someone start a business with just ₹10,000? The NDA is exploiting the women voters of Bihar. And women are aware of this.”
He further promised to benefit the state’s 'Jeevika Didis' — women working in entrepreneurial self-help groups under an ongoing scheme — by providing them ₹2,000 a month, insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh, and a waiver on loan interest. He accused the NDA of leading a "copycat government", as per news agency ANI.
PK says ‘bribery’, RJD MP complains to EC
The JDU-BJP+ alliance's ₹10,000 grant has also become the subject of a formal complaint for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ahead of the elections.
RJD MP Manoj Jha wrote to the Election Commission (EC), accusing the state government of transferring money to beneficiaries on October 17, 24, and 31, 2025, even after the poll schedule was announced and the MCC came into effect on October 6.
He also noted that the next disbursement is scheduled for November 7, just after the first phase of voting, and four days before the second and final phase on November 11. Jha alleged, as per a report by news agency PTI, that the action violates multiple provisions of the code of conduct and “undermines the constitutional mandate for free and fair elections”.
Opposition voices have harshly criticised the scheme's timing. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has called such cash doles “bribery", arguing, “For five years, you extorted money from people through corruption... And right before the election, you offer ₹10,000 from people’s money."
How women are a key support base
This focus on cash transfers, and women, underscores the critical importance of female voters, who have emerged as a significant political constituency that is believed to transcend traditional caste dynamics in some cases.
Women’s voter turnout has been higher than men’s since the 2010 assembly elections. For instance, in 2020, the turnout for women was 59.7%, compared to 54.7% for men.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has successfully cultivated a loyal base through various welfare and empowerment schemes, including 50% reservation in local bodies (since 2006) and the free bicycle scheme for schoolgirls. Political analyst Manisha Priyam said that Nitish "has the respect of women" due to these schemes.
Data from the closely fought 2020 election — when a few thousand votes separated the NDA and MGB — showed that 40% of young women (18-29 age group) voted for the NDA, contributing significantly to their narrow victory. However, critics and some beneficiaries argue that the focus on just ₹10,000 fails to address broader needs like security and education.
