Tejashwi’s poll bugle for Bihar and the RJD manifesto highlights

Accompanying Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on the INDIA bloc’s Voter Adhikar Yatra — a protest campaign and popular mobilisation against the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar — RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on 19 August, Tuesday, also announced his party’s election manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

The Rashtriya Janta Dal's six-point poll promise with a 'naye soch' (new vision) includes:

1. The 'Mai Bahin Yojana': a monthly allocation of Rs 2,500 for women — the 'sisters and mothers' of the scheme's name — from the economically weaker sections (EWS) of society.

2. The 'Vriddhjan Pension': the senior citizens' scheme will be upped from Rs 400 a month to Rs 1,500.

3. The 'Vidhwa Pension': for widows too, the allocation is to grow from Rs 400 to Rs 1,500 per month.

4. The 'Nishaktjan/Divyangjan Pension': for people with disabilities to also be increased from Rs 400 to Rs 1,500.

5. Free electricity upto 200 units: a per-household per-month allocation.

6. An arrest on unemployment: with lakhs of jobs to be created for youth, as well as industrial zones to attract investment and stem the tide of migration out of the state in search of a livelihood.

The RJD leader also promised that the next goal would be working for Rahul Gandhi to be prime minister of India after the next general elections — which are due in May 2029.

But first, progress for Bihar, he promised, together with and benefitting "brothers" of every caste and tribe, every religion.