By Rahil Nora Chopra
NDA, INDIA BLOC RELEASE MANIFESTOS AHEAD OF BIHAR ASSEMBLY POLLS
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has released its manifesto for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, pledging to create one crore jobs, boost industrial growth, and expand infrastructure across the state. Special focus has been on women empowerment schemes, setting an ambitious target of turning one crore women into “Lakhpati Didis”. The NDA has also promised to build 50 lakh new pucca houses and provide free ration, 125 units of free electricity, free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, and social security pension under the PM Awas Yojana. The document was unveiled in Patna by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alongside BJP president JP Nadda, Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha. On the other hand, the INDIA bloc too released its manifesto for the Bihar assembly polls. The said document mentioned a series of major welfare promises, including a government job for one member of every family, a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 for women, 200 units of free electricity for every household and cooking gas at Rs 500 for poor households. The 32-page ‘Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran’ (Tejashwi’s Resolve) also promised a law to prevent atrocities against Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) as well as IT parks, SEZs, dairy and agro-based industries, an education city, food processing units, new and renewable energy projects and five new expressways in the state and all contractual workers in the Bihar government departments will be made permanent. Also, all ‘Jeevika Didis’ will be made permanent and given a monthly salary of Rs 30,000.
BATTLE FOR BIHAR 2025 HEATS UP AS NDA, INDIA BLOC CAMPAIGNS INTENSIFY
As the high-stakes political tussle for Bihar inches closer, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi asserted that if the INDIA bloc comes to power in Bihar, they will form a government of farmers, workers and Dalits, with representation from all communities and claimed that the incumbent nine-term Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was under the BJP’s remote control. Addressing a poll rally in Nalanda, Gandhi repeated his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reportedly constructing a separate pool near the polluted Yamuna river in Delhi, to take a dip during the Chhath Puja. Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav focused on the welfare sops the Opposition alliance has promised, saying that if the INDIA bloc forms the government in Bihar, all contractual workers in state departments and around 2 lakh ‘Jeevika Didi’ community mobilisers will be made permanent. Meanwhile, leaders of the BJP and Janata Dal-United — including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and others — launched fierce attacks on the RJD, Congress, and the INDIA bloc, accusing them of dynastic politics, corruption, and lawlessness. PM Modi on October 30, launched a scathing attack on Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav during his campaign rally in Muzaffarpur. In his address, he accused both leaders of belonging to the most corrupt families and running shops of false promises. While Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, campaigning in his home district Nalanda on Wednesday, distinctly reminded voters of the situation before 2005 under RJD’s rule. “Before 2005, there were clashes, fear, and darkness. People did not leave their homes after sunset. Education, health, and electricity were in ruins. We ended that era,” he said.
CM VIJAYAN, WAYANAD MP PRIYANKA GANDHI OPPOSE PLANNED SIR IN KERALA
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the party strongly opposes the Election Commission’s move to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Kerala, calling it an affront to democracy and a way of cheating in elections. While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has voiced serious concern over the hurried implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, which is being carried out across 12 states and Union Territories, without adequate consultation with political parties. Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state Cabinet has decided to convene an all-party meeting on November 5 to discuss the issue and decide on the next course of action. On the other hand, Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Khelkar told the leaders attending the meeting that he would move ahead with the SIR process and maintained that the local body elections, due in December, would not be affected. Now the CPM and Congress recalled that they had unanimously passed a resolution in the Kerala Assembly against the SIR. They said that the Kerala CEO should go to New Delhi and meet the chief election commissioner to apprise him about the parties disapproval of the decision to implement the SIR at this juncture. Meanwhile, the BJP supported the EC decision, but said adequate safeguards should be in place to ensure that the local body polls are not disrupted.
MAYAWATI AUGMENTS DALIT-MUSLIM UNITY WITH BHAICHARA COMMITTEE
Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati launched an extensive outreach to strengthen Dalit–Muslim unity through the formation of Muslim Bhaichara (Brotherhood) Committees across the state. She appealed to Muslims to get united and extend extensive and direct support to her party instead of the Samajwadi Party and Congress in order to defeat what she called the destructive politics of the BJP. She clearly instructed leaders to make sure that every voter’s name is included in the electoral rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. This attempt is seen as a move to replicate the successful 2007 social engineering formula that brought the BSP to power with a full majority. To revive the support of the Muslim community, the BSP chief has appointed two members to the Muslim bhaichara committee in all 18 divisions.
OWAISI BATS FOR BETTER MUSLIM REPRESENTATION AHEAD OF BIHAR POLLS
In a prominent bid to woo Muslim voters, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi kicked off the election campaign of his party for the Bihar assembly elections, interrogating why the eastern state cannot have a Muslim CM despite the minority community comprising 17 per cent of the state’s population. Taking aim at Tejashwi Yadav, Owaisi said, “In Bihar, a son of the Mallah community, which comprises just 3 per cent of the population, can be made Deputy Chief Minister, and a son of the 14 per cent community can be made Chief Minister, but Muslims, with 17 per cent population, are denied both positions. This isn’t social justice — it’s political discrimination.” Speaking to the media, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav reportedly refused to respond to Owaisi’s remarks. The four districts of Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia and Katihar have 24 seats that will go to polls in the second phase. These districts have a high Muslim population. For many years, this region was seen as a strong area for the RJD and Congress. In 2020, the AIMIM won five seats — two each in Kishanganj and Purnia, and one in Araria. This changed the electoral maths in multiple seats, reducing the RJD-Congress vote share. (IPA Service)
Kerala Becomes First State Free Of Extreme Poverty 