Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is launching schemes for the people of Bihar, especially for the poor as he prepares for another electoral battle in two months – the Bihar assembly elections. He is addressing rallies, launching populist schemes to ensure that his might among the people of the state remains so. Why? Because the performance will be a report card for him as the longest serving CM, and will most likely have an impact on his ties with the NDA bloc.
Whatsoever, as of now, one thing is certain that he is countering the opposition through his multi-faceted schemes. Be it free electricity, allowances for different sections of people or pension – Nitish Kumar is taking his time and doing it all.
Series of schemes launched by Nitish Kumar
In a series of announcement ahead of the elections, Nitish Kumar has launched a number of schemes giving benefit to several sections of people in the state. Despite his anti-freebies stance, Nitish announced that consumers will not have to pay for 125 units in a month, reported PTI.
On Sunday, he announced that 10,000 ‘Vikas Mitras’ across the state would be given a one-time allowance of Rs 25,000 each for purchasing tablets to make their work more efficient. As per the report, ‘Vikas Mitras’ work in villages to make SC and ST people aware of government schemes and convert them to beneficiaries.
The Bihar government has also said it would increase their transportation allowance from Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,500 per month, and stationery allowance from Rs 900 to Rs 1,500 per month.
Besides these, the state government also said it would provide Rs 10,000 each to more than 30,000 Shiksha Sevaks and Talimi Markaz, whose work is to connect children belonging to Mahadalit, minorities and extremely backward communities to formal school education, for purchasing smartphones.
Pension, unemployment allowances
The CM had earlier increased pensions to senior citizens, widows and people with disability by Rs 700 per month in June. He transferred an increased pension amount of Rs 1100 directly into the bank accounts of 1.11 crore beneficiaries entitled to get pension under six social security schemes on July 11.
Unemployment allowance, another such scheme, was launched by CM Nitish to give some relief to unemployed youth of the state. Under this, the government promised a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 per month for two years for graduates and those who have completed class 12 but remain unemployed.
Furthermore, in a move to support women, he launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. The scheme promised Rs 10,000 to each women entrepreneurs in the first instalment, and later Rs 2 lakh to each entrepreneur after assessing their business initiatives.
In a separate announcement, his government promised a Rs 5,000 clothing allowance each to 16 lakh construction workers and raised honorariums to Jeevika, Anganwadi and ASHA workers.
Oppn calls schemes a ‘copy’
Criticising these schemes, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said that the NDA is only copying the welfare schemes of the INDIA bloc.
“The youth of Bihar want to get rid of this copycat and useless government. We have a vision for Bihar. The youth of Bihar have resolved that they will remove the ‘old rickety government’, and make RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav the CM after the assembly polls,” Tiwary said.
Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor said his assessment suggests that over 60 per cent of people in Bihar want a political change. For the past 30-35 years, political dynastic practices have prevailed, “where out of fear of Lalu ji, people vote for Nitish and out of fear of BJP, people vote for Lalu ji. People want to break free from this cycle,” he said.