Bihar Polls: How Welfare Outreach and Cash Transfers Swung the Vote in Favour of NDA | India News
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In a decisive victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, welfare outreach and cash transfers played a crucial role in winning over women voters. For Rinku Devi, a resident of Araria district, the one-time payment of ₹10,000 under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgaar Yojana was a game-changer. The money helped her repair her home and buy clothes for her children, boosting her confidence in the NDA. The NDA's welfare schemes, including cash transfers to 15 million women, were a key factor in their success. The party's impressive record of welfare delivery, including schemes like Ladli Behna in Madhya Pradesh and Ladki Bahin in Maharashtra, helped them build a loyal base of women voters. Bihar's NDA victory was not solely due to the cash transfer scheme, however. The party announced a slew of welfare initiatives, including job creation, pension hikes, and special camps to enroll beneficiaries under various pension schemes. These efforts helped undercut anti-incumbency, shore up the party's social coalition, and make new inroads among women and youth voters. The Opposition, led by the Janata Dal (United) and the Congress, attempted to counter the NDA's welfare schemes with their own promises, including more jobs and regularisation of jobs for women contractual workers. However, it was too late in the day, and the NDA's efforts paid off. As Devi said, "Why would we go elsewhere when we have already got something here?" The NDA's welfare offensive has charmed almost every caste and community, consolidating women's support and securing a landslide victory in the polls.
