How Tejashwi’s job push is testing Nitish’s welfare politics ahead of Bihar polls

Niranjan Sharma, a jobless youth in his mid-20s who has been unsuccessfully trying to secure a government job for the past seven years, is now hopeful of fulfilling his dream. His optimism stems from a promise made by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to provide a government job to at least one person in every household in Bihar if his party-led Mahagathbandhan comes to power.

Youths pin hopes on Tejashwi

“I graduated in 2018–19 and have since been preparing for competitive exams to get a government job. But to date, I have failed due to one reason or another. I am upbeat about Tejashwi’s promise of providing government jobs to one member of every family. It will help youths like me and families like ours,” says Sharma, who belongs to the “Nai” (barber) caste of the EBC category, considered more loyal to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).

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Sharma, a resident of Rohtas district, was visiting AIIMS Patna on Friday for his mother’s treatment. He says Tejashwi’s promise may sound unrealistic, but believes he is the only leader consistently raising the issues of “rozgar” and “berozgari” (jobs and unemployment), now even thinking of providing government jobs to families that currently have no one in government service.

“Lagta hai ke sarkar mein aayega to kuchh karega. Tejashwi ko mauka dena chahiye. Nitish aur PM Narendra Modi ne yuvaon ko thaga hai, berozgari charam pe hai (We feel that Tejashwi will deliver if voted to power. He should be given a chance. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have betrayed the youth, as unemployment is at its peak),” says Sharma.

Tejashwi’s big job pitch

Sensing the pulse of the youth on the ground, Tejashwi Yadav, who is leading the Opposition Mahagathbandhan as its star campaigner, is playing the “sarkari naukri” (government job) card to woo jobless youths and counter the ruling BJP-led NDA’s campaign headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

In a bold announcement aimed at the youth, Tejashwi said that within 20 days of forming the government, a new law would be enacted to ensure this employment guarantee. He made it clear that this was part of his commitment, not just a promise or a mere 'jumla'.

“Our government will ensure that every household has at least one person with a government job. We will bring an Act for it within 20 days of forming the government, and within 20 months, not a single house will be without a government job,” he said.

In a bid to reach out to people, Tejashwi reminded them that he had promised government jobs during the last Assembly polls in 2020. During his 17 months in power, five lakh jobs were provided, he claimed.

Job promise gains traction

Is this promise more attractive than the cash benefit of Rs 10,000 to 2.77 crore women in the state, announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a scheme widely seen as a major boost for the NDA in the Assembly polls? Will the promise of a government job in each family win over the youth and their parents?

The answer, many believe, is “yes”, as far as Bihar’s political psyche is concerned. “The issues of employment and jobs are hot topics in Bihar because of the high rate of unemployment and migration. Any promise of jobs easily attracts people, mainly the youth,” said DM Diwakar, a Bihar-based political analyst.

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Satyanarayan Madan, another political observer, said the craze for government jobs remains high among poor OBCs, EBCs, and Dalits, unlike middle-class upper-caste youth, who have shifted to the private sector, particularly information technology, corporate, and infrastructure development. “For them, a government job is no longer the ultimate goal, as their fathers, uncles, and grandparents were in government service. They have explored new avenues in the private sector where they are doing well and earning handsomely. But for the youth of backward and marginalised sections, a government job still matters the most; it symbolises power, prestige, and respect. Keeping this in mind, Tejashwi has played his card wisely,” he said.

Boost for Tejashwi's campaign

Niranjan Sharma is not alone. Avinash Kumar, another jobless youth belonging to a Dalit caste, said Tejashwi is at least promising something, a government job, which is integral to their aspiration for a happy and dignified life. “The youth are not in favour of repeating the old (Nitish-Modi) combination. They will favour change and a new face for the top post,” he said.

Avinash added that Nitish Kumar has been in power for 20 years but has never made a promise like Tejashwi’s. “Berozgari aur garibi bahut hai. Hum log yuva hai, agar koi kahta hai ke ek mauka do, to mauka dena chahiye. Tejashwi kuchh behtar kar sakta hai hum logon ke liye. Tejashwi pe bharosa hai, wo hamein rozgaar denge. Hum ek chance Tejashwi ko denge rozgaar ke liye (Bihar continues to struggle with poverty and unemployment. We are young, and when someone promises change, they deserve a chance. We believe Tejashwi can bring that change; he can do better for us. We trust him to deliver jobs and are willing to give him an opportunity to prove himself),” he said.

Diwakar recalled that during the last Assembly polls, Tejashwi had promised 10 lakh government jobs to the youth of Bihar if elected. It was part of the RJD’s manifesto. The announcement had attracted a large number of young people to his election rallies and compelled the BJP to promise 19 lakh jobs in the next five years in its manifesto.

“The issues of employment has made Tejashwi popular not only among the youth but also among parents of unemployed youngsters. It appears to have raised new hope,” Diwakar said.

Employment versus cash aid

Unemployment is not new to Bihar; it has remained one of the state’s most persistent problems for years. Tejashwi has been trying to corner and expose the Modi–Nitish duo over their failure to address rampant joblessness and fulfil employment promises. He has repeatedly reminded Prime Minister Modi of his 2014 pledge to create two crore jobs annually and dared him to speak on the issue. Despite seven visits to Bihar this year, Modi has yet to respond to Tejashwi’s pointed questions.

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Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government has promised to provide ₹10,000 in cash aid to one woman from every family, a move seen as a bid to strengthen his support base among women.

According to official data, 1.21 crore women have already received the benefit, with the rest expected to be covered soon. Political observers have called the initiative one of the most attractive pre-poll offers to women in Bihar, noting that with 3.5 crore female voters, who outvoted men in 167 of 243 constituencies in 2020, this could prove to be a potential “game changer.”