Bihar, Nov 10 : Union Minister and BJP Bihar election in charge Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday criticised RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s promise of providing government jobs to one member of every family in Bihar, calling it “unrealistic and misleading.”
In an interview with ANI, Pradhan questioned the feasibility of Tejashwi’s claim, citing Bihar’s financial limitations. “There are 2.75 crore families in Bihar and the state’s annual budget is around ₹3 lakh crore. Paying salaries to 2.75 crore people would require ₹12–15 lakh crore. This is like promising to give the sun, moon, and stars,” he said.
Pradhan also targeted the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) over the alleged land-for-jobs scam, involving Tejashwi’s father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. He said the scam exposed the hypocrisy of those now promising jobs while “taking land from poor candidates in exchange for government posts.”
“The youth of Bihar want to become financially independent and they know who can make that happen. Those who snatched away land and practiced family-based politics cannot empower the youth,” Pradhan added.
He said the people of Bihar trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s “double engine government” model that focuses on development, infrastructure, and job creation.
Mahagathbandhan’s manifesto promises
The RJD-Congress alliance, under its manifesto titled ‘Bihar Ka Tejashwi Pran’, has pledged a government job for at least one member of every family. It also promises ₹2,500 monthly assistance to women under the Mai-Behin Maan Yojana for five years starting December 1.
Other key commitments include the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), 200 units of free electricity per household, and free health insurance up to ₹25 lakh under the Jan Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. The alliance has also promised to enhance reservation quotas for backward classes and minorities, ensure MSP-based crop procurement for farmers, and revive the Mandi system.
Polls and schedule
After a record voter turnout in the first phase, polling for 122 Assembly constituencies across 20 districts will be held in the second phase on November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.
As Bihar heads into the decisive phase, the battle lines are drawn between the NDA’s development narrative and the Mahagathbandhan’s populist promises with Pradhan asserting that “only Modi and Nitish can deliver a truly prosperous Bihar.”