In Bihar’s charged pre-poll atmosphere, a fresh skirmish has erupted over the Nitish Kumar government’s transfer of funds to women beneficiaries. RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) Rajya Sabha member Manoj Kumar Jha has written to the Election Commission (EC), alleging that the government violated the model code of conduct by releasing Rs 10,000 each to women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana after announcement of the election schedule. The disbursements, he contends, amount to state-sponsored inducement of voters.
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Nitish’s JD(U), led by its working president Sanjay Jha, has countered sharply, portraying the RJD’s objection as evidence of a deep-seated discomfort with women’s empowerment. Far from being an electoral gimmick, the JD(U) insists, the scheme continues a two-decades-long commitment to gender-centred welfare—from bicycles and pensions to reserva
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