1.4 crore ‘Jeevika Didi’ are at the center in Bihar elections 2025. Nitish government has given them financial assistance. At the same time, Tejashwi Yadav has made big promises like government status, ₹ 30,000 honorarium and loan waiver. There is competition between the two for power.
Patna: In the Bihar Assembly elections 2025, the biggest issue that has emerged this time amidst caste equations, alliance moves and rhetoric of leaders and representatives is ‘Jeevika Didi’. This time, women of every village are at the center of the politics of Bihar. Be it Chief Minister Nitish Kumar or Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, the word “Didi” is echoing again and again in the speeches and promises. It is being said in political circles that this time the key to power is with ‘Jeevika Didis’.
Who is ‘Jeevika Didi’?
‘Jeevika Didi’ is actually the brainchild of CM Nitish Kumar and an ambitious plan of the Bihar government. In 2006, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar started “Jeevika Yojana” with the help of the World Bank. The objective was to make rural women self-reliant. Under this scheme, women form Self Help Groups in groups of 10-12.
The government gives them loans at low interest so that they can improve their living standards through animal husbandry, farming, tailoring, weaving or small business. As of today, more than 1.4 crore women are associated with Jeevika Yojana, which is running about 11 lakh groups across the state. These groups have so far received loans of more than Rs 57,794 crore from banks. Nitish Kumar claims that “32 lakh women of Bihar have become ‘Lakhpati Didi’ today.”
Nitish Kumar’s ‘Cash Card’
Just before the elections, Nitish government sent financial assistance of ₹ 10 thousand each to the accounts of Jeevika Didis. The government says this is “a step towards self-employment and economic independence for women”. But the opposition simply termed it as “election bribery”.
NDA strategists believe that women voters will play a decisive role in this election, and connecting more than 1 crore women directly with bank accounts is Nitish’s masterstroke.
Tejashwi Yadav’s ‘bundle of promises’
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has made many big and bold promises regarding Jeevika Didis. He has announced that Jeevika Didis will be given the status of government employees. Each Didi will get a monthly honorarium of ₹30,000. All loans taken till now will be waived off.
From now on, interest free loans will be given to Jeevika groups for 2 years. Every Jeevika Didi will get an insurance cover of ₹5 lakh. Tejashwi said, “Didi is no longer just a group, she is a force of change. If our government is formed, every Didi will get her right.”
Women became the pivot of the electoral equation
Of the total more than 6 crore voters in Bihar, about 3 crore are women. Among these, women from rural areas cast the maximum votes. This is why every party is playing the “Didi card”. Where earlier elections revolved around caste equations, now women empowerment and economic self-reliance have become the new agenda.
Analysts believe that the ‘Jeevika Didi’ class has now become not just beneficiaries but also a “politically influential class”. They have organizations, meetings and networks in every village, which means this class can play a role in everything from election campaigning to booth management.
NDA vs Grand Alliance – Who will win Didi Ki Dagar?
Political observers say that “Jeevika Yojana is Nitish Kumar’s most successful social engineering. But if Tejashwi Yadav woos this class with his promises, the game can also change.” In fact, Jeevika Didi voters do not decide only on the basis of economic benefits, but on respect, recognition and trust. Nitish’s advantage is from “stability and trust”, while Tejashwi is holding on in the name of youth and change.