Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan will form the next government in Bihar after the final phase of polling.
The alliance announced 20 key guarantees, including one government job per household, ₹2,500 monthly aid for women, free electricity, and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.
Promising social justice and economic upliftment, the Mahagathbandhan pledged to raise caste-based reservations, create special courts for SC/ST cases, and offer welfare measures for farmers, journalists, and lawyers.
On the eve of the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) will form the next government in the state, promising immediate implementation of its “guarantees” once in power.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the alliance would end two decades of “helpless governance” and usher in a new era of social justice and prosperity. “Migration will stop, the darkness will be removed from the future of the youth, and every household will see a brighter tomorrow,” Kharge said in a Hindi post on social media. He added that Dalits, Mahadalits, tribals, backward and extremely backward classes, minorities, and the economically weaker sections would receive their due rights, while women, farmers, and youth would experience economic upliftment.
Kharge asserted that the people of Bihar were “ready to change the face of the state” and restore its lost glory. “We guarantee, we will make it possible,” he said, sharing details of the alliance’s commitments.
Echoing the optimism, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the formation of a Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar was “certain this time” and its five-year guarantee plan would be rolled out immediately after taking office.
Ramesh listed 20 key guarantees, including one government job per household, ₹2,500 monthly assistance to women, free electricity up to 200 units, LPG cylinders at ₹500, free bus services for women, ₹30,000 salaries for Jeevika Didis, and pensions of ₹1,500 for senior citizens and ₹3,000 for persons with disabilities. The alliance also promised free medical treatment up to ₹25 lakh.
In terms of social justice, the Mahagathbandhan pledged to raise EBC/EWS reservation from 20% to 30%, SC reservation from 16% to 20%, and ST reservation from 1% to 2%. It further proposed special courts for speedy trials in SC/ST harassment cases and the enactment of an Extremely Backward Classes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Other commitments include land leases for collective farming, inclusion of the 50% reservation law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, and the creation of a special SIT to recover funds stuck in the Sahara Group. The alliance also promised hostels and free healthcare for journalists, insurance benefits for lawyers, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for government employees, assured support prices for farmers, and 24-hour free electricity for agriculture.
The Bihar Assembly elections are being held in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. The opposition INDIA bloc — comprising the RJD, Congress, and Left parties — has declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate.
