Bihar assembly election 2025: The ground is set, players have begun games and the cards are out – the ‘Clash of Titans’ in the state of Bihar is just days away. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Friday released its manifesto, the ‘Sankalp Patra’ making a number of promises that it would complete in the next five years, if voted to power again after Bihar elections 2025.
The release came three days after the opposition’s Mahagathbandhan unveiled their plan for the state, titled ‘Bihar Ka Tejashwi Pran’. And yes, the two are competing well. With too much at stake for both parties, the promises are indeed lucrative. One crore jobs is what the NDA has promised against INDIA bloc’s one government job per household pointer. Similarly, the two have tried to maintain a balance among women, students, poor and farmers.
NDA vs INDIA: Analysis ‘Sankalp Patra’ and ‘Tejashwi Pran’ in Bihar
Employment – jobs, jobs and jobs
Generating employment has been the agenda of the Mahagathbandhan alliance, and hence, its chief ministerial candidate promised one government job to every household in Bihar if they are voted to power. Their manifesto promised bringing legislation on this within 20 days of the formation of government.
It also promised regularising the employment of all contractual or outsourced workers in the state.
As for the NDA, it has promised more than 1 crore government jobs based on skills ascertained by a Skill Census. It also talks about skill centre in every Bihar district to transform the state.
Focus on women
Women have become a core and crucial section, irrespective of the state, party or election. In Bihar too, they have a huge role to play as voters. For them, the Mahagathbandhan has announced a monthly financial aid of Rs 2,500 and till next five years, they will be given Rs 30,000 per year.
If it comes to power, the opposition will also bring BETI and MAI schemes to ensure “benefits”, “education”, “training” and “income” for daughters and “house”, “food” and “income” for mothers, they said. They have also promised to make all Community Mobiliser (CM) Didis permanent.
They will be paid Rs 30,000 per month, the alliance said, adding that interest due on loans taken by them will be waived off, and no interest shall be charged for two years.
On the other hand, the ruling coalition has promised to make 1 crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and Mission Crorepati to make women millionaires in the next five years.
Welfare of backward communities
The Mahagathbandhan has promised a “Most Backward Classes Atrocity Prevention Act”, aiming to increase reservation for EBCs in panchayats and urban bodies from 20% to 30%. It has also promised hostels in each sub-division and degree colleges for students of Other Backward Classes. The INDI alliance also promised land reforms to empower the backward classes in the state.
In the Sankalp Patra, the NDA has promised the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who comprise 36% of the population, Rs 10-lakh assistance for business support. They will also form a high-level committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to study the social and economic conditions of the EBCs to find measures to empower them
Benefit to farmers
There is no denying that Bihar’s economy has been created and nurtured by its farmers. The Mahagathbandhan has promised procurement of all crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and assured that it would go back to the mandi system and the APMC Act.
It promised to raise the daily wage under the MGNREGA from Rs 255 to Rs 300, and increase the total days of employment promised from 100 to 200.
NDA, meanwhile, has vowed Rs 3,000 per year for three years for farmers under Karpoori Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi. Besides this, if it retains power, the alliance will spend Rs 1-lakh crore on agri-infrastructure, and procurement of wheat, paddy, pulses and corn at the minimum support price at the panchayat level.
Food parks, doubling agricultural exports and ‘Make in Bihar’ are other key promises the alliance has made.
Infrastructure development
The Mahagathbandhan has talked about IT parks, Special Economic Zones, dairy-based and agro-based industries and construction of Education City, and industry clusters. It has promised to construct five new Expressways over 2000 acres in Bihar.
NDA has talked about providing metro services in four more cities and making international airports in Patna, Darbhanga, Purnia and Bhagalpur, and enablisng domestic flights from 10 new cities. Greenfield city, new township in Patna, seven new expressways, modernisation of 3,600 km of railway tracks, extension of the Amrit Bharat Expressway and the NaMo Rapid Rail are some of its big takeaways for urban development in Bihar.
It has promised to attract Rs 50 lakh crore in investment to the state, and set up a Flood Management Board to save Bihar from annual floods.
Social security
The INDIA bloc has promised 200 units of free electricity for every household, a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 for widows and senior citizens, free health insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh per family under the Jan Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. It promised to bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and extension of CGHS-type healthcare benefits to state government employees.
125 units of free electricity, free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, 50-lakh new housing units and a social security pension are what the NDA has promised to Bihar in its ‘Sankalp Patra’. It has also vowed to provide life insurance of Rs 4 lakh for auto, taxi and e-rickshaw drivers, and collateral-free vehicle loans to them at low interest rates.
Education and health
The INDIA bloc has promised to build an Educational City spread over 2,000 acres.
The ruling NDA has promised free KG to PG (post graduate) education to poor, a healthy breakfast along with midday meals in schools, and modern skill labs.
It plans to build a world-class education city in the state, and an investment of Rs 5,000 crore to transform district-level schools, and build a Centre of Excellence to transform Bihar into an AI hub.
To anyone, the promises do look lucrative. But who will Bihar choose, will only become clear on Nov 14 – when the ECI announces the results.