Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Elections, CM Nitish Kumar has announced free electricity for up to 125 units from August 1. The CM took to X and wrote, “We have been providing electricity to everyone at low rates from the beginning. Now, we have decided that starting from August 1, 2025 — that is, from the electricity bill for the month of July — all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay anything for up to 125 units of electricity. This move will benefit a total of 1.67 crore (16.7 million) households in the state.”
He further added that within the next three years, with the consent of these households, solar power systems will also be installed either on their rooftops or at nearby public places to provide further benefits.
“For extremely poor families covered under the Kutir Jyoti Yojana, the full cost of installing solar systems will be borne by the state government. For others, the government will provide suitable support. This means domestic consumers will no longer have to pay for up to 125 units of electricity, and at the same time, the state is expected to generate around 10,000 megawatts of solar power in the next three years,” Kumar said in his X post.
Free Electricity – A smart move?
Bihar is set to hold Assembly elections at the end of 2025, and this announcement could severely impact the results. In Bihar, electricity bills are a major expense for many families. The promise of 125 units of free electricity could be a big relief for people living in both villages and cities. The scheme is expected to help mainly poor and middle-class households, which may increase support for the Nitish-led government.
Elections for all 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly are likely to be held in November this year. The last elections were held around the same time in 2020. After that, the NDA formed the government, and Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister.
In August 2022, Nitish Kumar’s JDU broke away from the NDA and joined hands with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan to form a new government. But in January 2024, JDU again left the Mahagathbandhan and returned to the NDA, forming the government with the BJP.