Ahead of the Bihar Assembly election later this year, the Central Government has issued big rewards for the politically crucial state where it shares power with its significant ally, Nitish Kumar’s JDU. The rewards for Bihar must be seen due to the JDU’s pivotal support for the BJP after the latter failed to meet the majority mark in the general election last year.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her eighth consecutive budget session, speedily declared the introduction of a Makhana board in Bihar. This board will provide assistance to Makhana farmers to get benefits from the Centre’s various initiatives. The step will help farmers in north Bihar and was welcomed with roaring applause from the treasury benches.
Bihar is also set to get greenfield airports as part of a civil aviation push, the finance minister declared. She also declared a canal project in the Mithilanchal region. In the education sector, she said that the capacity of the Indian Institute of Technology in Patna will be increased.
These huge offerings for Bihar come months ahead of a pivotal Assembly election in the state. Nitish Kumar, who has made lots of slides across the political divide but is able to hold on to the Chief Minister’s position, is preparing for another election battle.
JDU, which got 12 seats in the 2024 general election, found itself in a crucial position after the BJP was not able to hit the majority and needed the support of JDU and N. Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP to build the government. Nitish Kumar is now harvesting the dividend as the BJP goes all out to ensure a win in the upcoming state elections.
The offerings to Bihar gathered sharp reaction from the opposition. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Centre’s gifts for Bihar were natural because elections are due but asked why Andhra Pradesh had been “cruelly ignored.”
“Bihar appears to have gotten a bonanza of announcements. It is natural since polls are due there later in the year. But why has the other pillar of the NDA, Andhra Pradesh, been so cruelly ignored?” he questioned.
