NEW DELHI: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Mahagathbandhan have released their manifestos ahead of the high-stakes Bihar elections, each seeking to outdo the other with sweeping promises of jobs, welfare, and economic transformation.
While the NDA’s pitch revolves around continuity, infrastructure, and empowerment, the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan has built its poll promise around direct welfare schemes, social justice, and government employment.
The NDA’s 69-page manifesto, unveiled on Friday in the presence of chief minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president JP Nadda, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, and other alliance leaders, promises job creation, women’s empowerment, and large-scale infrastructure expansion.
The Mahagathbandhan’s “Bihar Ka Tejashwi Prann,” released earlier this week by Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leader Pawan Khera, lays stress on economic relief, government job guarantees, and restoring the Old Pension Scheme.
NDA promises jobs, empowerment, and infrastructure
In its manifesto, the NDA has promised to provide more than one crore government jobs and employment opportunities through a comprehensive “Skill Census” and the establishment of “Mega Skill Centres” in every district. These will be further developed into Global Skilling Centres to promote skill-based employment and attract investment.
The alliance has also announced the creation of one crore “Lakhpathi Didis”, women earning over Rs 1 lakh annually, through the Chief Minister Women Employment Scheme, which will offer up to Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance to women entrepreneurs.
Another flagship initiative, “Mission Crorepati,” aims to help selected women entrepreneurs become millionaires.
Infrastructure forms a major highlight of the NDA’s blueprint, with promises of seven new expressways, metro rail services in four more cities, and seven international airports. It also envisions setting up one medical college in each district, a world-class medicity, and 10 new industrial parks per district, along with 100 MSME parks and over 50,000 cottage industries.
For farmers, the NDA has pledged to increase annual support under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000, and aid for fishermen from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000. Social welfare guarantees under its “Panchamrit” scheme include free ration, Rs 5 lakh health cover, 50 lakh new pucca houses, and free quality education from KG to PG for children from poor families.
In the education sector, the manifesto promises residential schools for SC/ST students in every division, Rs 2,000 monthly aid for those in higher education, and up to Rs 10 lakh assistance for students from Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs).
Mahagathbandhan focuses on welfare & social justice
The Mahagathbandhan’s manifesto, titled “Bihar Ka Tejashwi Prann,” carries the slogan “They Talk, We Act”, presented Tejashwi Yadav as the face of generational change. The alliance promises to pass a law within 20 days of assuming power to guarantee one government job per household, positioning employment as its central promise.
A key highlight is the Mai-Behin Maan Yojana, under which women would be receiving Rs 2,500 per month, amounting to Rs 30,000 annually. Each household will also get 200 units of free electricity per month. The bloc has pledged free health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh under the Jan Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, revival of Mandis, restoration of the APMC Act, and procurement of all crops at MSP.
The alliance has also promised to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees, regularise contractual workers, and give Jeevika Didis permanent government employee status with a monthly remuneration of Rs 30,000.
On social justice, the Mahagathbandhan proposes to raise reservation for Most Backward Classes from 20 to 30 per cent, and for Scheduled Castes from 16 to 20 per cent, along with a proportionate increase for Scheduled Tribes. It also promises to make management of Bodh Gaya’s Buddhist temples community-led and to pause the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to ensure "greater transparency" in property management.
In its development plank, the Mahagathbandhan has vowed to establish IT parks across the state, promote industrialisation, and strengthen local entrepreneurship, albeit with a stronger focus on welfare spending than private-sector investment.
While both manifestos promise massive employment generation and women-centric schemes, their approaches differ sharply. The NDA seeks to project stability and expansion of Nitish Kumar’s governance model, anchored in infrastructure, skilling, and economic growth.
The Mahagathbandhan, on the other hand, pitches itself as a reformist alternative, promising immediate welfare relief, greater reservation, and an assertive role for the state in job creation and social equity.
Both alliances have framed their campaigns around aspirational slogans, trying to capture the imagination of Bihar’s 7-crore voters through competing narratives of progress and empowerment.
While the NDA’s pitch revolves around continuity, infrastructure, and empowerment, the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan has built its poll promise around direct welfare schemes, social justice, and government employment.
The NDA’s 69-page manifesto, unveiled on Friday in the presence of chief minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president JP Nadda, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, and other alliance leaders, promises job creation, women’s empowerment, and large-scale infrastructure expansion.
The Mahagathbandhan’s “Bihar Ka Tejashwi Prann,” released earlier this week by Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leader Pawan Khera, lays stress on economic relief, government job guarantees, and restoring the Old Pension Scheme.
NDA promises jobs, empowerment, and infrastructure
In its manifesto, the NDA has promised to provide more than one crore government jobs and employment opportunities through a comprehensive “Skill Census” and the establishment of “Mega Skill Centres” in every district. These will be further developed into Global Skilling Centres to promote skill-based employment and attract investment.
The alliance has also announced the creation of one crore “Lakhpathi Didis”, women earning over Rs 1 lakh annually, through the Chief Minister Women Employment Scheme, which will offer up to Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance to women entrepreneurs.
Another flagship initiative, “Mission Crorepati,” aims to help selected women entrepreneurs become millionaires.
Infrastructure forms a major highlight of the NDA’s blueprint, with promises of seven new expressways, metro rail services in four more cities, and seven international airports. It also envisions setting up one medical college in each district, a world-class medicity, and 10 new industrial parks per district, along with 100 MSME parks and over 50,000 cottage industries.
For farmers, the NDA has pledged to increase annual support under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000, and aid for fishermen from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000. Social welfare guarantees under its “Panchamrit” scheme include free ration, Rs 5 lakh health cover, 50 lakh new pucca houses, and free quality education from KG to PG for children from poor families.
In the education sector, the manifesto promises residential schools for SC/ST students in every division, Rs 2,000 monthly aid for those in higher education, and up to Rs 10 lakh assistance for students from Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs).
Mahagathbandhan focuses on welfare & social justice
The Mahagathbandhan’s manifesto, titled “Bihar Ka Tejashwi Prann,” carries the slogan “They Talk, We Act”, presented Tejashwi Yadav as the face of generational change. The alliance promises to pass a law within 20 days of assuming power to guarantee one government job per household, positioning employment as its central promise.
A key highlight is the Mai-Behin Maan Yojana, under which women would be receiving Rs 2,500 per month, amounting to Rs 30,000 annually. Each household will also get 200 units of free electricity per month. The bloc has pledged free health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh under the Jan Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, revival of Mandis, restoration of the APMC Act, and procurement of all crops at MSP.
The alliance has also promised to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees, regularise contractual workers, and give Jeevika Didis permanent government employee status with a monthly remuneration of Rs 30,000.
On social justice, the Mahagathbandhan proposes to raise reservation for Most Backward Classes from 20 to 30 per cent, and for Scheduled Castes from 16 to 20 per cent, along with a proportionate increase for Scheduled Tribes. It also promises to make management of Bodh Gaya’s Buddhist temples community-led and to pause the Waqf (Amendment) Bill to ensure "greater transparency" in property management.
In its development plank, the Mahagathbandhan has vowed to establish IT parks across the state, promote industrialisation, and strengthen local entrepreneurship, albeit with a stronger focus on welfare spending than private-sector investment.
While both manifestos promise massive employment generation and women-centric schemes, their approaches differ sharply. The NDA seeks to project stability and expansion of Nitish Kumar’s governance model, anchored in infrastructure, skilling, and economic growth.
The Mahagathbandhan, on the other hand, pitches itself as a reformist alternative, promising immediate welfare relief, greater reservation, and an assertive role for the state in job creation and social equity.
Both alliances have framed their campaigns around aspirational slogans, trying to capture the imagination of Bihar’s 7-crore voters through competing narratives of progress and empowerment.
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