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44m ago

Rs 10,000 Women-Focused DBT Drives NDA Landslide in Bihar

Analysts say a pre-poll Rs 10,000 transfer to women, pitched as a gateway to cheap credit, catalysed outsized female turnout.

BJP supporters celebrate NDA's victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, at the BJP Headquarters, in New Delhi.
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Overview

  • Election Commission trends show the NDA leading in about 204 of 243 seats, delivering a decisive assembly victory.
  • Launched in September, the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana deposited Rs 10,000 into women’s accounts, with the chief minister later claiming over 1.4 crore beneficiaries after an initial rollout to 75 lakh.
  • Female participation surpassed male turnout, reaching 69.04% in phase one and 74.03% in phase two, a record surge linked by analysts to the cash transfer.
  • The programme pairs the grant with access to collateral-free, low-interest loans up to Rs 2 lakh to spur micro-entrepreneurship, with one survey citing 58% planning small-business use.
  • The scheme’s reported Rs 10,000 crore price tag has renewed concerns about state finances even as Bihar’s result reinforces a broader pattern of pre-election women-focused DBTs boosting electoral fortunes.