In a major pre-election announcement, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday pledged that if his party returns to power in Bihar, every household in the state would have at least one member employed in a government job.
"We will ensure that every household in Bihar has one person with a government job. Within 20 days of forming the government, we will bring in new legislation for this, and in 20 months, not a single house will be without a government employee,"said Tejashwi Yadav, addressing a press conference just weeks ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, assuring that the promise would be backed by law and implemented within a fixed timeframe.
Calling the promise a “historic” and “data-driven” decision, Yadav positioned the announcement as a key part of the Opposition alliance's roadmap for Bihar's development. “We are going to make a historic announcement today. Many people have asked how we plan to take Bihar forward. For 20 years, this ramshackle government never acknowledged that unemployment is the biggest issue,” said the RJD leader.
Tejashwi Yadav took a swipe at the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), accusing JD(U) and BJP, of offering only temporary relief instead of long-term employment solutions. “They are not talking about jobs. They are only offering unemployment allowances,” he said.
Drawing a contrast, Yadav said the RJD-led alliance would offer guaranteed public employment through legislation. “Any family in Bihar without a government job will be given one. This is not a jumla,” he said, adding, “This is my pledge. It is possible. It will be done.” He emphasised that this would be the first time a government in Bihar would commit to such a legally mandated employment guarantee.
The announcement comes at a crucial juncture ahead of the state polls. Bihar’s 243-member Assembly will go to polls in two phases, scheduled for November 6 and November 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14. According to the Election Commission, the final electoral roll includes 7.42 crore voters, a slight dip from 7.89 crore registered as of June 24. The drop comes after the removal of approximately 65 lakh voters from the draft list during the revision process. As of August 1, the number of electors stood at 7.24 crore.
