NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadavon Tuesday pledged a series of welfare schemes if his party returns to power in Bihar in the assembly polls scheduled for later this year. Taking a cue from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s playbook, Tejashwi announced a monthly cash transfer of Rs 2,500 to women under a proposed initiative called the Mai Behan Maan scheme.The former Bihar deputy CM also announced that his party will provide 200 units of free electricity and subsidised gas cylinders for Rs 500.Addressing a press conference, Tejashwi also criticised chief minister Nitish Kumar, claiming the current administration is exhausted and disconnected from the ground reality. “The chief minister is tired and unable to see the truth. Retired officers have only one job now to loot the state treasury. Administrative anarchy prevails,” he said.Yadav accused the ruling alliance of failing to address core issues such as poverty, unemployment, and migration. “Bihar ranks number one in all the wrong areas,” he said, blaming two decades of JDU-led rule. The RJD leader expressed confidence that the public will bring an end to what he described as a crumbling and outdated government.The announcement comes as political activity in Bihar intensifies ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections. The announcement comes as political activity in Bihar intensifies ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections. Tejashwi has been vocal in recent months, sharply criticising Nitish and the ruling NDA. In a video released on social media, Yadav alleged rising corruption, unemployment, and crime, accusing the government of failing the people. He claimed that after 20 years of BJP-JD(U) rule, Bihar is ready for change. Yadav also accused the BJP of “misusing” Nitish Kumar’s image while effectively controlling the state government. He went further to allege that JD(U) leader Lalan Singh is mentally aligned with the BJP.In response, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary defended the NDA’s record, highlighting progress in infrastructure, electricity, and healthcare. JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad rejected Yadav’s allegations, citing employment figures and improved law and order. He added that Bihar has seen reverse migration, unlike during the “jungle raj” under RJD rule.
