Nitish's ₹10,000 Gambit: Can Cash Sway Bihar's Women Voters?

This special report focuses on the critical role of the 'Mahila vote' in the Bihar elections, with correspondents Maria Shakil and Preeti Chaudhary reporting from the ground. The discussion, anchored by Rajdeep Sardesai, delves into the electoral battle between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav to win over women voters. A woman voter stated, 'We have given Rs. 10,000 as bribe, and have bought a goat.' This highlights the impact of the Nitish Kumar government's direct benefit transfer of ₹10,000 to over a crore women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana just before the polls. The report analyses whether this amount, seen as a 'top-up' to years of pro-women schemes like bicycle distribution, panchayat reservations, and prohibition, will be enough to secure the loyalty of this crucial vote bank, which has consistently seen a higher turnout than men in Bihar.