New Delhi: The Mahagathbandhan alliance on Tuesday unveiled a manifesto packed with promises aimed at winning over Bihar's crucial youth and women voters. It pledged to enact a law within 20 days of taking office to guarantee one government job per family within 20 months. When asked how the jobs would be created, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said a detailed blueprint would be released soon.
The manifesto, titled 'Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran' (Tejashwi's pledge for Bihar), promised free power up to 200 units, ₹2,500 monthly aid for poor women, toddy exemption from prohibition -a long-standing demand of the Pasis- and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.
The Pasis makes up less than 1% of Bihar's population, according to the 2023 caste survey, but hold political significance. The late LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan had sought to align the 5% Paswans with the Pasis to build a broader Dalit base. However, the Nitish Kumar government's 2016 liquor ban left the toddy-dependent Pasis economically strained and discontented
RJD has long argued that toddy, being natural, should be exempt from prohibition. In 2022, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav pushed for the exemption, but it didn't materialise. LJP (RV) leader Chirag Paswan also demanded exemption.
Despite their small numbers, the Pasis have a statewide presence and can sway results in 50-60 constituencies, where a swing of 10,000-15,000 votes could decide contests.
The manifesto also reiterated Tejashwi's vow that the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be allowed in Bihar if the alliance wins.
Other promises included making all Jeevika self-help group members permanent government employees with a salary of ₹30,000 per month, regularising contract staff, raising pensions for widows and the elderly, and ensuring ₹3,000 monthly support for the differently abled. The manifesto also pledged a law to curb harassment of women by microfinance agents.
Projecting CM Nitish Kumar as a "hostage" of the BJP and bureaucrats, Tejashwi Yadav said, "I have sympathy for Nitish Kumar ji... BJP has turned him into a puppet. Amit Shah has already said MLAs will decide the NDA's CM, which means Nitish ji won't return as chief minister." He added that while the INDIA bloc has declared its CM face, the NDA has not. On the toddy exemption, Tejashwi reiterated, "toddy is not liquor."
The manifesto, titled 'Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran' (Tejashwi's pledge for Bihar), promised free power up to 200 units, ₹2,500 monthly aid for poor women, toddy exemption from prohibition -a long-standing demand of the Pasis- and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.
The Pasis makes up less than 1% of Bihar's population, according to the 2023 caste survey, but hold political significance. The late LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan had sought to align the 5% Paswans with the Pasis to build a broader Dalit base. However, the Nitish Kumar government's 2016 liquor ban left the toddy-dependent Pasis economically strained and discontented
RJD has long argued that toddy, being natural, should be exempt from prohibition. In 2022, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav pushed for the exemption, but it didn't materialise. LJP (RV) leader Chirag Paswan also demanded exemption.
Despite their small numbers, the Pasis have a statewide presence and can sway results in 50-60 constituencies, where a swing of 10,000-15,000 votes could decide contests.
The manifesto also reiterated Tejashwi's vow that the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be allowed in Bihar if the alliance wins.
Other promises included making all Jeevika self-help group members permanent government employees with a salary of ₹30,000 per month, regularising contract staff, raising pensions for widows and the elderly, and ensuring ₹3,000 monthly support for the differently abled. The manifesto also pledged a law to curb harassment of women by microfinance agents.
Projecting CM Nitish Kumar as a "hostage" of the BJP and bureaucrats, Tejashwi Yadav said, "I have sympathy for Nitish Kumar ji... BJP has turned him into a puppet. Amit Shah has already said MLAs will decide the NDA's CM, which means Nitish ji won't return as chief minister." He added that while the INDIA bloc has declared its CM face, the NDA has not. On the toddy exemption, Tejashwi reiterated, "toddy is not liquor."
