In a state where elections are largely and inherently skewed around caste politics, it appears that even the fiscal understanding of political parties regarding existing state debt and the challenges of running welfare schemes is limited.
Or, perhaps, they understand that voters respond more to hearing promises of welfare and benefits, which is music to their ears, rather than the harsh realities of Bihar’s current debt situation.
As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections, the campaign narrative is dominated by promises of welfare, cash transfers, and job guarantees. The Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) headlining promise of one government job per family, the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) massive pre-poll Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to women under schemes like the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, and Jan Suraaj’s Parivar Labh Cards illustrate a war of welfare schemes aimed at courting voters across the socio-economic spectrum.
Yet, beneath the glittering announcements lies a stark reality: Bihar’s fiscal health is fragile, and its capacity to deliver these promises sustainably is constrained by structural economic weaknesses.