Unemployment key issue in Bihar Assembly polls

No party is leaving anything to chance to win the Bihar assembly elections to be held in October-November this year. All parties are vociferously making several poll promises to entice the voters.

With the announcement of the poll dates, the ruling Janata Dal (United) supremo and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reached out to people with the electoral promises made by his party while the leader of the main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Tejashwi Yadav has also come out with his party's poll promises. Both parties are specially eyeing the unemployed youth.

The JD(U) and the RJD have been in power in Bihar for 15 years each.

Nitish Kumar promised to work under the ‘seven commandments part-2' after returning to power. Under the 'Yuva Shakti Bihar Ki Pragati' programme he promised to train the youth of the state to prepare them for jobs.

Nitish Kumar promised to connect more and more youth with the Kaushal Vikas Yojana (Skill Development Scheme) and to set up a mega skilling centre in each district along with a new department for skill and entrepreneurship. The Chief Minister assured that this time all necessary support for entrepreneurship would be provided to the youth.

The RJD leaders also did not lag behind in the political race. Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday told journalists that within two months of coming to power he would provide 10 lakh people with government jobs.

Citing data showing vacant posts in government departments, Tejashwi said that if the RJD comes to power then in the first cabinet meeting it will be decided to provide employment to 10 lakh youths.

"If people give my party a chance to come to power then all the vacant posts in government departments will be filled," he added.

Political analyst Ajay Kumar said announcements and promises by parties before elections were not a new phenomenon. It has been happening earlier as well.

"Many migrant workers have returned home during the corona pandemic but the Opposition has been making unemployment the core issue for the past few months. To counter the Opposition, the ruling party is forced to make employment promises," Kumar added.