Rs. 10,000 EACH TO 7.5 MILLION WOMEN IN BIHAR

Rs. 10,000 EACH TO 7.5 MILLION WOMEN IN BIHAR

27-SEP-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-------------------------₹10,000 each was directly transferred to the bank accounts of 7.5 million women in Bihar. This initiative is under the Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme, through which the state government transferred a total of ₹7,500 crore.

Looking at the data, on average, there are approximately 30,864 women beneficiaries per assembly constituency. The largest share of these beneficiaries are Dalit and minority women, women from the social groups that traditionally play a decisive role in Bihar's politics. The question is: 1. Is this scheme limited solely to providing economic empowerment to women, or is there a deeper political strategy behind it? 2. Will Dalit and minority women convert this assistance into votes and benefit the NDA in the 100 BJP-held seats? 3. Or will the entire benefit accrue primarily to the JDU, as the scheme's identity is directly linked to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar?

Political Implications: JDU's Strategy: This scheme strengthens Nitish Kumar's "women empowerment" brand. He already has a positive image among women – be it through the bicycle scheme, reservations, or now this cash assistance.

BJP's Challenge: Within the NDA, the BJP will have to ensure that the votes received from beneficiaries through the JDU are transferred to its candidates. But history shows that vote transfer does not always happen easily.

Opposition's Position: The RJD and the Grand Alliance will portray this as an "election bribe" and an "attempt to buy women," but if the relief funds reach women on time, it will definitely have an impact.

This scheme is important from both social and economic perspectives, but its electoral arithmetic is complex. It is still uncertain to whom Dalit and minority women will vote in gratitude. If these votes are also transferred to BJP seats, the NDA could gain significantly. But if women only credit Nitish Kumar, the JDU will reap the greatest benefits, and the BJP will not receive the expected support. Ultimately, this will determine whether the scheme will become a weapon to "strengthen the NDA" in Bihar politics or merely a "shield for the JDU."