Bihar: Ahead of 2025 Assembly Polls, Tejashwi Sets Agenda, Promises Bagful of Sops

Patna: Learning some hard lessons from the massive victory of Hemant Soren-led INDIA coalition in neighbouring Jharkhand, the  opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar is trying to reach out to people with specific promises to fulfil their aspirations if they come to power, months ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections.

More than the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, appears aggressive to set the agenda for next year’s state polls.

Tejashwi, who is currently visiting different parts of the state to complete his Karyakarta Samvad Yatra, is using it to expose target the ruling NDA for the poor law and order, increasing joblessness and collapse of health and education.

During his yatra, the RJD leader repeatedly said that the Mahagathbandhan was preparing a roadmap for the development and progress of Bihar. "We will come out with this roadmap in public ahead of next year polls", he said.

After "rozgar" (jobs), Tejashwi has promised "Muft Bijli” (free electricity) and hike in old age pension as well as "Samajik Suraksha Pension" (social security pension) to the people if the Mahagathbandhan comes to power. He is likely to announce more welfare schemes and promises in the coming days with the clear message of empowering the poor, deprived and backward people.

The RJD leader’s moves are being seen as an attempt to consolidate the social support base of the Mahagathbandhan of Grand Alliance to take on the NDA in next year’s Assembly polls.

A senior RJD leader, considered close to Tejashwi, a former Deputy Chief Minister, told NewsClick that the Mahagathbandhan was a “pro-people coalition”. “Our leader is announcing promises related to employment, welfare schemes, social justice and empowerment of poor and backward,” he said.

On Monday, (December 9, 2024) Tejashwi announced that if votes to power, the Mahagathbandhan will hike "Virdhavashtha Pension" (old age pension scheme) for people over 60 years of age from Rs 400/month to Rs 1,500. Similarly, he announced a hike in Samajik Suraksha Pension for the disabled, widows and old people from Rs 400/month to Rs 1,500.

The RJD leader said, "Hum jo kahte hai wo karte hain" (we deliver what we promise).

Much before the formal campaign for next year’s Assembly polls begins, the RJD leader’s promises are creating a sense of “good news” for thousands of people and are likely to become talking points across the state, mainly in rural belt.

Tejashwi has promised 200 units of free electricity, which has already triggered a counter-attack from the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) leaders, as the promise is generating a “big relief” for people who are fed up with exorbitant power tariffs and irregularities in billing after smart meters were installed. There have been reports of widespread opposition and protests by people across the state against the ongoing installation of smart pre-paid meters.

The Mahagathbandhan has been in the forefront of opposing smart meters and has staged protests in the Assembly on the issue.

Since last year, Tehashwi has been trying to make "rozgar aur naukri" (employment and jobs) one of the main issues in the political discourse. He successfully played the job card to counter the ruling NDA's campaign, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls held in May. It is a different matter that the Mahagathbandhan managed to win only nine out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, with one seat won by an Independent candidate backed by Congress.

"The Mahagathbandhan improved its tally from one to nine this time, though it was less than expected. But the issues of employment and jobs have dominated the discourse among people -- from the streets in urban pockets to the narrow lanes in villages. This same discourse will continue in next year’s Assembly polls", a political watcher said.

A jobless youth Mohit Kumar said the issues of employment and jobs had made Tejashwi popular and appears to have raised new hope. "He has been raising this important issue that is directly connected to livelihood and the future of youths and their families," he said.

In recent months, Tejashwi has not missed a single opportunity to remind the people of how he provided nearly five lakh government jobs, mainly school teachers, during his 17-month tenure as Deputy Chief Minister till January 2024.

The Mahagathbandhan leaders have also been focusing on “embarrassing and exposing” the Modi-Nitish duo over rampant unemployment and their governments’ failure to fulfil the promise of employment and jobs. Tejashwi has been making it a point to repeatedly question Prime Minister Modi about his promise in 2014 to generate two crore jobs a year, questioning his silence on the issue.

According to political analysts, the Soren government popular Maiya Samman Yojana scheme in Jharkhand, which provides financial aid of Rs.1,000 a month to women between 18 and 50, played an important role in the victory of the ruling INDIA coalition. Soren’s promise to hike the amount to Rs 2,500 helped him consolidate his support base among tribals, Dalits, backward sections and Muslims.

However, the ruling NDA is quite upbeat after it won all four Assembly bypolls last month. Leaders of the ruling BJP and its major ally Janata Dal-United of Nitish Kumar are claiming that they have a clear advantage over the Mahagathbandhan. 

There is no doubt, however, that the Assembly bypoll outcome was a setback for RJD and its ally CPI(ML) as they lost three and one seats, respectively. Soon after the results, Tejashwi directed party leaders and workers to become “fully active on the ground” to reach out to people, listen and interact with them.

The RJD leader has asked all party MLAs to camp in their respective constituencies, meet people to know their grievances and take action accordingly. He urged them to start work at the booth level, “hum log tabhi behtar kar payenge, jab janata ke beech rahenge” (we can do better only if we remain among the people), he said.

The message is loud and clear -- people should be the focus of the Opposition if it is serious about defeating the ruling NDA next year.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Patna, Bihar.