Women, welfare, infra: NDA’s election formula

Analysts say that the Centre’s schemes such as free ration, Ujjwala Yojana, Matru Vandana Yojana, and Lakhpati Didi Yojana may have contributed

- Anirban Guha Roy

Female supporters of the NDA in Kalyan Bigha village celebrating the party's win on Friday.

The National Democratic Alliance’s campaign in the Bihar election was pitchperfect. At a macro level, it focused on three aspects: the empowerment of women; infrastructure and development; and the track record of incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar, especially when contrasted with what it termed “Jungle Raj under the Rashtriya Janata Dal between 1990 and 2005.

All three worked.

35.14 million women voted in the election, compared to 39.37 million men; around 90% of the electorate was around when the RJD was in charge of the state; and Bihar’s infrastructure under Kumar has seen a visible improvement. Operationally, this was backed by a rush of pre-poll sops; the frictionless allocation of seats among alliance partners; and a strong campaign.

A total of 14.1 million women received ₹10,000 each before polling under the Mukhyamantri Rojgar Yojana. And the government also hiked the monthly allowance to widows, senior citizens and physically disabled from ₹400 to ₹1,100.