Amit Shah Challenges Tejashwi Yadav's Job Promise: "Would Cost Four Times Bihar's Budget"

Shah distinguished between jobs and livelihood.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has challenged RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's promise of providing government jobs to one family member in every Bihar household, stating that fulfilling this would require four times the state's entire budget.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at the NDTV Bihar Power Play Event, Shah clarified that the NDA has promised 1 crore livelihood opportunities rather than merely jobs, highlighting a significant distinction between these concepts.

With Bihar's first phase of Assembly elections just five days away, unemployment has become a central campaign issue. When questioned about the NDA's pledge compared to the Mahagathbandhan's, Shah expressed confidence that Bihar's voters are too astute to believe Yadav's promises.

"Tejashwi has said a member of every family will get a government job. There are 2.8 crore families and let's assume 20 lakh have such jobs. That means 2.6 crore jobs are needed. Let's assume again that B, C and D-grade jobs need to be created; the average salary would be Rs 39,000. This means Rs 12.85 lakh crore would be needed, which is four times the budget of Bihar," Shah explained.

Bihar's 2025-26 budget totals Rs 3.17 lakh crore, representing a Rs 38,000 crore increase from the previous fiscal year.

Shah emphasized that implementing the Mahagathbandhan's job promise would consume all available funds, leaving nothing for essential services like power and policing, while still requiring additional resources equivalent to four times the state's current budget.

"So, answers on Tejashwi Yadav's promise should be sought from Lalu Yadav and Rahul Gandhi. Where will they find Rs 12.85 lakh crore?" he questioned.

Regarding the NDA's promise of creating 1 crore 'rozgar' within five years, Shah differentiated their approach from the opposition's by focusing on broader livelihood creation rather than just formal employment.

"Livelihood can mean self-employment, cottage industries, MSMEs. Someone who works in an MSME also earns a livelihood. So, livelihood can be generated in various ways. For example, if someone starts a dairy in a village, 150 families earn a livelihood from it. Let's not confuse people by equating livelihood with jobs," he stated.

Shah added that generating livelihoods within Bihar would incentivize residents to remain in the state, thereby reducing migration.

"For Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 a month, young men from Bihar go to Mumbai, Gujarat, Haryana, Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. If a man gets the same amount by doing a small business in his village, he will not leave it. He can then stay with his wife and elderly parents. This is what we are trying to ensure," Shah concluded.