Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday announced that financial aid of Rs 30,000 will be transferred to the bank accounts of women in Bihar under the Mai Bahin Maan Yojana on the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti in January 2026, if the Opposition Mahagathbandhan comes to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Yadav made the announcement on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the polls. The Assembly elections will take place in two phases on November 6 and November 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.
The Mahagathbandhan alliance comprises the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, three Left parties, the Vikassheel Insaan Party and the Indian Inclusive Party. Yadav is the chief ministerial face of the alliance.
The Mai Bahin Maan Yojana scheme, announced by the Mahagathbandhan in its manifesto released on October 28, aims to provide Rs 2,500 per month to women from financially vulnerable and backward communities.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Yadav said that the alliance would transfer Rs 30,000 for 12 months as part of the scheme on January 14, when Makarsankranti would be celebrated, on the “demands of the mothers and sisters” of Bihar.
Read Scroll’s ground reports from Bihar here.
Yadav also announced free electricity for irrigation and higher prices for key crops.
“If our government comes to power, we will provide a bonus of Rs 300 per quintal on paddy crops, in addition to the MSP [Minimum Support Price],” Yadav said. “We will provide a bonus of Rs 400 per quintal on wheat, in addition to the MSP.”
The leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly said that the public was “in a mood for change” and would “throw out” the National Democratic Alliance government in the state.
This came a day after the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led state government credited Rs 10,000 each to the bank accounts of 25 lakh women under its entrepreneurship and self-employment initiative.
The Janata Dal (United) chief is part of the National Democratic Alliance in the state, which also comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party and Union minister Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party.
It also includes former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
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