Bihar has spoken, and the numbers show a clear tilt toward the ruling BJP-led NDA, which is on course to form the government in the state. The NDA was leading in 166 assembly seats, surpassing the majority mark of 122 in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, while the opposition INDIA bloc was ahead in 56 constituencies, prompting rival camps to assert confidence in their prospects.While plenty of factors decided the fate of NDA, but nothing sparked more chatter on the ground than pre-poll freebies, now taking the shape of a political currency in the country. Then chief minister Nitish Kumar deployed them in Bihar, hoping to blunt both anti-incumbency and opposition criticism on unemployment and with the results in, it clearly worked for the JD(U) supremo.
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Game of Freebies
The NDA government announced Rs 10,000 in cash to 1.4 crore female members of self-help groups in Bihar. Pensions were also raised to Rs 13,200 per year.
Over the last two months, barely a couple of days went by without the BJP–JDU coalition rolling out a new scheme for one group or another. The Nitish govt raised the honorarium for 95,000 Asha and 4,600 Mamta workers as well as introduced a raft of schemes for women, like pink toilet, pink bus, gym on wheels, women’s market, kanya mandap for marriage of poor girls, girls’ hostel, and a subsidy for women purchasing e-rickshaws.
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ALSO READ: Bihar’s industry and jobs in focus ahead of Assembly verdictWhile RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav countered this with a promise of transferring Rs 30,000 into the accounts of women annually for “long-term economic relief”, the NDA had already credited the money directly to bank accounts, eliminating intermediaries, leakages, and delays. The overwhelming majority of women one met on an election tour said they had received the cash, making it very different from the usual fancy promises that are soon forgotten.
The rise of Revdi culture
The loss of 63 seats in the 2024 general election seems to be the reason it decided to compete in cash doles in the subsequent Haryana and Maharashtra state elections.
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In the Haryana state election, BJP promised women Rs 2,100 per month, free bus rides for the poor, and a Rs 2,000/acre bonus for kharif crops. Additionally, it promised unemployed youth allowances of Rs 1,200-3,500 per month. Congress promised Rs 2,000 per month to women, an old-age pension of Rs 6,000, and free electricity of 300 units per household.
Till 2024, the BJP had invariably fared worse in a state election than the preceding general election — a pattern often attributed to the ‘Modi effect’. In the 2024 general election, Congress and BJP won five seats each in Haryana. So, the Congress was confident of winning in the state election that followed. But BJP won 48 seats to the Congress’ 37.
Next came the Maharashtra state election. This, too, turned out to be a battle of revadis. In the Lok Sabha poll, the BJP plus the Shinde-led splinter of the Shiv Sena won only 17 seats out of 48 — a debacle. Immediately after his alliance’s defeat in the general election, then chief minister Eknath Shinde announced payment of Rs 1,500 a month for poorer women under his CM Ladki Bahin Yojana. The Congress promised to increase this to Rs 2,000 per month if elected. Shinde, who is now deputy CM, indicated that he would raise it to Rs 3,000 if elected. His handsome victory led many to speculate that revadis were the new election winners. Rahul Gandhi accused the ruling party of manipulation, a claim rejected by the Election Commission.
