The NDA’s Bihar poll manifesto pledges one crore government jobs and a state-wide skill census to boost youth employment.
It promises Rs 9,000 annual aid for farmers and fishermen, and aims to make one crore women “Lakhpati Didis” through financial assistance and entrepreneurship schemes.
Congress backlash: Congress leader Ashok Gehlot dismissed the manifesto as a “string of lies,” questioning Nitish Kumar’s limited role in its release and demanding a 20-year performance report instead.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday released its manifesto for the Bihar Assembly elections 2025, making a raft of ambitious promises — from one crore government jobs to turning one crore women into “Lakhpati Didis.” However, the announcement immediately triggered sharp criticism from the Congress, which questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s low-key role at the launch and called the document a “string of lies.”
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot took a dig at the NDA, wondering why Nitish Kumar did not himself announce the alliance’s manifesto. “Was he not in a position to do so?” Gehlot asked, alleging that the ruling alliance had failed to deliver over its 20-year tenure in the state. He claimed that the manifesto, released at a press conference that lasted barely 26 seconds, reflected the NDA’s fear of facing public scrutiny. “They should first publish a report card of their 20 years of governance before making fresh promises,” Gehlot said.
The NDA’s “Sankalp Patra” was jointly unveiled in Patna by BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in the presence of other senior leaders, including those from the Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and allied parties.
Employment and Youth Empowerment
At the heart of the manifesto is a massive employment push. The NDA promised to provide one crore government jobs and conduct a state-wide “skill census” to identify and employ youth based on their abilities. The alliance pledged to establish Bihar as a “global skilling centre,” setting up mega skill hubs in every district and Centres of Excellence for sports and technical training.
Women Empowerment
A major highlight is the commitment to make one crore women “Lakhpati Didis” through the Chief Minister’s Women’s Employment Scheme, offering financial assistance up to ₹2 lakh to women entrepreneurs. The alliance has also proposed “Mission Crorepati,” aimed at supporting successful women entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses to the crore-rupee level.
Infrastructure and Industry
The NDA’s infrastructure vision includes building seven expressways, modernising 3,600 km of rail tracks, and establishing four international airports in Patna, Darbhanga, Purnia, and Bhagalpur, along with metro rail networks in four major cities. Plans also include 10 new industrial parks per district, 100 MSME hubs, and over 50,000 cottage enterprises.
The manifesto also promises a defence corridor, a semiconductor manufacturing park, a world-class medicity, and a medical college in every district. The alliance envisions transforming Bihar into South Asia’s leading textile and silk hub.
Agriculture and Farmers
For the farming community, the NDA has announced the Karpuri Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi, under which each farmer will receive an additional ₹3,000 annually — increasing total assistance to ₹9,000 per farmer. Fishermen will also see their assistance doubled to ₹9,000. The manifesto pledges a ₹1 lakh crore investment in agriculture infrastructure and guarantees Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops.
Education and Social Justice
Education reforms include setting up an Education City, inviting campuses of top global universities, and ensuring free, quality education from KG to PG for students from poor families. The NDA also proposes to introduce nutritious breakfasts along with midday meals in schools.
For Scheduled Castes (SC), residential schools will be opened in every subdivision, and SC students pursuing higher education will receive ₹2,000 monthly aid. Those from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) will be eligible for financial support up to ₹10 lakh.
Cultural and Spiritual Development
The manifesto promises to develop Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Goddess Sita, into a global spiritual hub named “Sitapuram.” It also envisions Vishnupad and Mahabodhi Corridors, along with Ramayana, Jain, Buddhist, and Ganga tourism circuits to promote Bihar’s cultural heritage.
While the NDA projected its “Sankalp Patra” as a vision for a “Viksit Bihar,” the Opposition called it an election-time gimmick. The Congress, along with the INDIA bloc, has accused the ruling coalition of making “unrealistic promises” to divert attention from unemployment, migration, and inflation — issues that continue to define Bihar’s political landscape ahead of the first phase of polling next week.
