The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections of 2025 are witnessing a surge in political activity. Parties are actively trading accusations and setting up their election strategies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the insults directed at his mother during an India coalition rally. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has responded with a similar strategy.
PM Modi has often responded to personal attacks with poise and by transforming them into campaign themes. This approach is then highlighted in rallies to counter the opposition.
Notable examples of this strategy include Sonia Gandhi’s ‘merchant of death’ comment in the 2007 Gujarat Assembly elections, Mani Shankar Aiyar’s ‘chaiwala’ remark before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ slogan before the 2019 elections.
As the Bihar elections approach, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav initiated a voter rights yatra. During this, PM Modi’s mother was targeted with offensive language at a rally in Darbhanga. The Congress and RJD stated that they weren’t present, but PM Modi highlighted the incident to emphasize the importance of mothers. He expressed that this type of behavior was against the traditions of Bihar. He also pointed out his mother has no political affiliations.
The BJP has successfully capitalized on the derogatory remarks against PM Modi’s mother, using it as a central theme in their Bihar campaign, and the opposition struggled to respond effectively. Tejashwi Yadav is now trying to address this situation by introducing the slogan ‘Empowered Women, Strong Women, and Safe Women’. He has also redefined ‘MAA’.
Tejashwi participated in a women’s dialogue in Patna. He stated that the government would implement the MAA scheme, aiming to honor women. He clarified that MAA stands for Makaan (house), Annaaj (grain), and Aamdani (income). Tejashwi is looking to win over women voters, who play a crucial role in Bihar politics.
Every political party is targeting female voters. The RJD has announced the MAA scheme, while Priyanka Gandhi is expected to meet with women and potentially release a women-centric election manifesto.
At the same time, PM Modi will be providing financial assistance to 75 lakh women under the Chief Minister’s Women Employment Scheme. Each will receive ₹10,000 through DBT. This is a major initiative that will benefit many women. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be the chief guest.
The emphasis on women voters by the NDA is visible in Nitish Kumar’s actions. After becoming Bihar’s CM in 2005, he made key decisions that benefited women, like reserving 50% of seats for women in local bodies in 2006, which made Bihar the first state to do so. Other initiatives included the Chief Minister’s Balika Cycle Yojana and the 35% reservation for women in state jobs in 2016. Additionally, the Chief Minister Kanya Utthan Yojana, launched in 2018, offers financial support for female students until graduation.