Mahadangal: Battle Over Women’s Votes Heats Up with Welfare Promises and Political Barbs | ABP NEWS

As the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 approach, political parties are making a last-minute push to woo women voters — a crucial electoral bloc. The NDA government, led by BJP and JD(U), has announced a direct transfer of ₹10,000 to nearly 75 lakh women under a new employment-linked scheme. The move is being hailed as a significant step toward women empowerment, especially in the festive season. However, opposition leaders, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, have slammed the timing of the scheme, calling it an “election bribe” and accusing the NDA of copying their policies. Yadav claimed, “Bihar’s women are smart, but the CM is only good at copying.” JDU and BJP leaders, meanwhile, defended the scheme, citing a history of progressive policies like 50% reservation for women in local bodies, 35% in government jobs, and the successful prohibition policy. Critics like Pawan Varma argue that such schemes are unsustainable and violate fiscal discipline, calling them “revdis” (freebies). The NDA counters this by highlighting Bihar’s strong debt-to-GSDP ratio. With both camps aggressively courting women, the real question is: will cash transfers and welfare narratives sway votes, or will deeper issues like unemployment and safety dominate voter sentiment?

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