Nitish Kumar takes swipe at Tejashwi over Jeevika promise

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday took a veiled swipe at his former deputy Tejashwi Yadav, accusing him of trying to “mislead” women by making hollow promises about the Jeevika self-help groups.

Without naming the RJD leader, Kumar said in a social media post, “The people of Bihar had given them a chance, but they used power to serve their own interests instead of serving the people.” His remarks came a day after Yadav, now the opposition INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate, promised government employee status to contractual workers and a hike in monthly remuneration to ₹30,000 for nearly two lakh “community mobilisers” involved with Jeevika self-help groups.

“Some people, just before elections, are trying to portray themselves as champions of Jeevika Didis and half of Bihar’s population. The truth is, in the name of ‘Jeevika Didis’, they are seeking a livelihood for their own families,” Mr. Kumar wrote.

“They are making grand promises of bringing the moon and stars for half the population. Bihar’s people gave these individuals a chance as well, but back then, their focus was more on personal gains than on service,” he added.

He further asserted, “During their rule, women’s development was limited to their own families. The pain, suffering, and sting of ‘jungle raj’ that Bihar’s women endured during that period is no secret.”

Mr. Kumar said Bihar today is not what it was before 2005. “Bihar’s sisters and daughters are studying, progressing, working, creating jobs, and bringing pride to the State and the country. They know who has truly worked for their uplift,” he wrote, expressing confidence that women would again back the NDA in the upcoming polls.

“The promise we made to Bihar in 2005 is always in our minds. As long as I am here, no force can stop Bihar, and especially our sisters and daughters, from moving forward,” the Chief Minister added.

Highlighting his government’s initiatives, he wrote, “We introduced 50% reservation for women in panchayat and municipal elections, 35% reservation in government jobs, and a domicile policy for women. We also implemented a 50% quota for women in primary teacher recruitment.”

He said the state spends ₹94,100 on every girl child from birth to graduation and provides ₹10,000 to one woman per family to start a business. “If the business continues successfully, they are eligible for additional assistance of up to ₹2 lakh,” he added.

“More than 1.4 crore Jeevika Didis are playing a vital role in strengthening Bihar’s economy. No society or State can progress without the uplift of half its population,” Mr. Kumar said.