Bihar Election 2025: Tejashwi Yadav and Nitish Kumar Compete for Women Voters with Rival Economic Promises

The Rashtriya Janata Dal has unveiled comprehensive pre-election incentives targeting women voters to challenge the offerings presented by Bihar's governing BJP-JDU coalition.

These incentives include promises to transform 'Jeevika didis' from contract workers to permanent employees while substantially increasing their monthly compensation to Rs 30,000. Additionally, outstanding loan interest will be waived and interest-free credit extended through 2027.

Furthermore, the RJD has committed to providing an additional Rs 2,000 allowance for the 'didis' and ensuring insurance coverage amounting to Rs 5 lakh for all members within their ranks.

The announcement incorporated criticism of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's administration regarding the "injustice faced by the didis." Yadav emphasized, "Neither village nor urban operations are possible without 'Jeevika didis'. Yet they receive inadequate compensation... we must take responsibility since this government neglects their needs."

"Corrupt officials remain indifferent to people's hardships."

Bihar currently leads a World Bank-supported Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project, locally referred to as 'Jeevika', focused on socioeconomic empowerment for rural populations in poverty.

Women participating in this initiative are known as 'Jeevika didis'.

The BJP responded with derision to these promises, questioning how the RJD could fulfill its commitment to create nearly three crore jobs, dismissing the electoral 'guarantee' as demonstrating "illiteracy."

Women voters, numbering approximately 3.5 crore and traditionally supporting Nitish Kumar, will be decisive in this election as they were in 2020. Five years ago, the BJP-JDU alliance secured 60.5 percent of constituencies where female voters outnumbered males, translating to 72 seats in the 243-seat assembly.

This electoral dynamic explains why the RJD and the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance, including Congress and other parties, are strategically pursuing women's votes.

Previously, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at a rally in Saran—formerly RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav's stronghold—criticized his opponents regarding their "misleading" promise of providing one government position per family.

"Bihar comprises 2.8 crore families with approximately 20 lakh people currently holding government positions... Tejashwi Yadav has promised government employment to 2.6 crore families. However, fulfilling this would require Rs 12 lakh crore, quadruple Bihar's entire budget," he stated.

"This represents a completely unfounded and misleading promise designed to secure votes," he declared emphatically.

Regarding women's incentives, the BJP-JDU coalition has proposed its own measures, including Rs 10,000 under the Mai Bahin Maan Yojana and increased monthly social security payments for widows—from Rs 400 to Rs 1,400—alongside 50 percent reservation quotas in local administrative and civic institutions.

The outgoing administration has also enhanced honorariums for 95,000 ASHA and 4,600 MAMTA healthcare workers while offering reduced interest rates.

However, the opposition has criticized the Rs 10,000 offering as 'vote bribery'. "They distributed Rs 10,000 through the Mai Bahin Maan Yojana to Bihar's women... but this constitutes a bribe. It's actually a loan, as Amit Shah himself acknowledged. This indicates they intend to recover these funds."

The Bihar election voting will occur on November 6 and November 11.

Results will be announced on November 14.