Jobs, free power, doles: INDIA's Bihar promises

A government job per family within 20 days of coming to power, permanent jobs for women in self-help groups and contractual workers within 20 months, monthly financial aid to women, scrapping the central waqf law, and exempting toddy from the prohibition net were among major promises made by the Opposition Grand Alliance in its poll manifesto on Tuesday.

- Subhash Pathak

The 30-page document titled Bihar Ka Tejashwi Pran (Bihar's Tejashwi Resolve) - highlighted the alliance’s chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Yadav, and focussed on jobs, young people, women, extremely backward classes, and Muslims. It also promised to do away with the 50% cap on reservation if the INDIA bloc wins the two-phase elections next month.

“The promises made in the documents are pragmatic. I will fulfill them even if it requires sacrificing my life (praan)," said Yadav.

The seven-party opposition alliance is hoping to deny chief minister Nitish Kumar a fifth consecutive term in the November 6 and 11 elections, but has been besieged by internal squabbling over seats. The manifesto release, coinciding with the Chhath festival, was attended by leaders from all major constituents of the alliance, but senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wasn't present.

Yadav called Kumar "a puppet" in the National Democratic Alliance. "The BJP is just using the face of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar...BJP will not make Nitish Kumar the CM after the elections," he added.

The NDA called the manifesto a "bunch of lies".

Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said that Yadav was trying to sell dreams.