RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday promised that if voted to power he would bring an Act to ensure at least one member of every household gets a government job in Bihar.
While the incumbent NDA is eyeing the women voters with cash doles, challenger Tejashwi appears to be focusing on winning over the job-deprived youth.
“My government will pass an Act within 20 days of government formation and in the next 20 months, not a single household will be without a government job,” the leader
of the Opposition in the Assembly said at a media address in Patna.
“The NDA could not provide jobs to youths in 20 years. In 20 months, Tejashwi will ensure that every family without a government job gets one,” he added.
Despite no formal announcement, Tejashwi has been projecting himself as the chief ministerial face of the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the RJD, Congress, Left and the Vikashsheel Insan Party.
Ahead of the announcement of the November 6 and 11 polls, Tejashwi had undertaken a solo Yatra to pitch himself as the chief ministerial face.
Bihar Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Thursday said “there was no option other than Tejashwi as chief minister in Bihar”. The top leadership of the Congress, however, has been avoiding any such announcement.
Tejashwi said his commitment to giving jobs was no “jumlebaazi” (empty promises) and that it was based on a survey and scientific study by his party.
“We have studied this scientifically, we have data on all families that do not have at least member in goverment service. If we are making this announcement, it is my pledge that we are promising only what is possible. This is not jumlebaazi,” he said.
Tejashwi recalled his performance on the job front during his 17-month stint as deputy chief minister in alliance with Nitish Kumar’s JDU. “In those 17 months, 5 lakh government jobs were provided. Imagine how many more would have got jobs had I been able to complete my five-year term.”
He accused the NDA of not promising jobs but unemployment allowance and went on to term his announcement “historic”.
PK’s candidates
Poll strategist turned politician Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party on Thursday announced its first list of 51 candidates. The party has fielded many former bureaucrats, police officers, educationists and lawyers. PK’s name does not feature on the list.