Bihar Polls: Tejashwi Vows ₹5 Lakh Aid for Barbers, Potters, Blacksmiths
RJD leader promises doubled allowances and pension for panchayat representatives ahead of Bihar polls.
GG News Bureau
Patna, 26th Oct: In a major pre-poll announcement, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan’s Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday unveiled a series of welfare promises targeting Bihar’s rural and working-class communities.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Yadav said that if his alliance is voted to power, the allowances of panchayat representatives and other local body leaders will be doubled. He also assured that a pension scheme for former panchayat and gram kachahari representatives will be initiated, along with a ₹50 lakh insurance cover for those serving in the Panchayati Raj system.
In a strategic outreach beyond his core Yadav-Muslim voter base, Tejashwi announced a ₹5 lakh financial aid package for families belonging to the barber, potter, and blacksmith communities — traditionally among Bihar’s most marginalized castes.
“The people of Bihar gave them (BJP) 20 years; we are only asking for 20 months. I have full faith that this time, Bihar will witness change and the Mahagathbandhan will build a new Bihar,” Yadav said, appealing to voters for a mandate in the upcoming Assembly polls.
He emphasized that his party aims to empower grassroots leaders and promote self-reliance among skilled workers. The announcement is seen as a calculated move to expand RJD’s social base ahead of the elections.
The 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly will go to polls in two phases — on November 6 and 11 — with counting scheduled for November 14.
