'Jungle raj a slur used by those who fear losing power'

We are fighting for dignity, employment and development, confident of winning decisive mandate, says INDIA bloc chief ministerial face Tejashwi Prasad Yadav

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RJD leader and INDIA bloc chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, exudes confidence as Bihar heads to polls, promising a development model centered around employment and empowerment.

"Employment is at the heart of my vision for Bihar-it will drive the state's growth," he told Rajesh Kumar Thakur. Criticising the BJP-JD(U) alliance as "fractured", he pledged to redirect resources toward people-centric projects and curb migration from Bihar. Excerpts:

Employment is at the heart of my vision for Bihar. It will be the driver of development. Employment puts money in the hands of the people who contribute right back to the economy. Then public and social sector employment creates better infrastructure and services.

That means more and better facilities for education, health, law and order, rural and urban infrastructure. It also creates favourable conditions for private investments.

I emphasise that in times of economic uncertainty and crisis, policy decisions to increase public spending and promote job creation have historically been effective. The current model of austerity, that is cutting public spending being imposed on India and Bihar by the NDA government has failed everywhere in the world. It's a right-wing policy.

We will begin by filling up vacancies in the public sector. We will assess future workforce needs, create positions in mission mode, and engage private and foreign investors, showcasing our educated, hardworking youth and supporting those who generate quality jobs.

The law and order is poor due to the lack of political will. The government appears to lack the necessary power to act decisively. The only reason I can think of is that perhaps the government patronises the criminal elements, and, therefore, is loath to touch them.