The story of how the NDA secured a sweeping victory in Bihar has many layers, but one initiative stands out as a decisive factor — the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.

This scheme transferred Rs 10,000 each to the bank accounts of 1.5 crore women across the state shortly before the elections. It quickly earned the nickname “das-hazari” among the people. The success of this plan is now being widely discussed, and much of the strategic credit goes to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He played a major behind-the-scenes role in shaping the scheme in close coordination with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration.

According to Sarma, the inspiration came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s broader vision. He said that “it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of making three crore ‘lakhpati didis’ that inspired the idea.” This national goal of creating financially strong women became the starting point. At the request of JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha, Sarma decided to assist Bihar by sending a team of his officers to Patna around five months before the elections. These officers made a detailed presentation in front of top Bihar officials, including the then Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena and the current Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit.

This presentation was built entirely on what Assam called its “Jeevika Rs 10,000 model.” In time, Bihar adapted this idea and turned it into the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. While JD(U) leaders agree that Sarma’s guidance was valuable, they still insist that the scheme was born out of brainstorming by various leaders and departments. JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar explained that it was actually an extension of Bihar’s long-running Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana. Under that older program, families in traditional occupations were already being supported with Rs 10,000 to shift to new income sources, along with additional assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh to start small businesses.

A BJP leader familiar with the Assam team’s presentation added another important detail. He said that the officers suggested giving women Rs 10,000 as seed capital, helping them think of a business plan. Bihar officials later expanded this idea further. They decided that each woman, provided she or her husband was not a taxpayer, could receive an additional loan of up to Rs 2 lakh, depending on how practical her business idea seemed.

Sarma also pointed out how Assam’s successes with women's empowerment became a reference point for other states. He highlighted how the “Arunoday” scheme in Assam influenced different welfare programs, including the famous “Ladli Behna Scheme” in Madhya Pradesh, which offered Rs 1,000 per month to women. That scheme played a big role in helping the BJP return to power in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

JD(U) insiders said the focus on women became even more urgent when RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav unveiled the “Maa Bahin Maan Yojana,” which promised Rs 2,500 per month to every woman if the Mahagathbandhan returned to power. Women voters have traditionally supported Nitish Kumar. So, the NDA needed a plan that was both empowering and politically meaningful. Nitish Kumar was also dealing with pressure from promises he had made while leading the Mahagathbandhan government a year earlier. Back in 2023, he declared that after the caste survey report, one member from every economically weak family earning less than Rs 6,000 a month would be given Rs 2 lakh every year. Opposition parties repeatedly questioned him about delays on that commitment. Introducing this new scheme helped him address those concerns right before the elections.

Neeraj Kumar emphasised that the “das-hazari” initiative was a much-improved and wider version of previous programs carried out with support from the central government’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). BJP spokesperson Kumkum Bhardwaj also stressed that the central government deserved recognition. She said that the Jeevika-style programs in many states were made possible because of NRLM funding. She further explained that the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana created the base for genuine financial inclusion of women, while NRLM formed the backbone of their economic progress. Summing up the larger significance, she described the scheme as a fresh chapter of women-driven development under PM Modi. She said, “This is a renaissance, with India’s women at the heart of the country’s economic progress.”

However, the Opposition raised strong questions about the timing of the payments. They pointed out that around 1.21 crore women received their Rs 10,000 benefit right before the election code of conduct was enforced, and another 30 lakh women got the money after the polls were announced.

Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor also commented sharply on his party’s poor election results. He claimed that government machinery, including Jeevika workers, had been used to influence public opinion. According to him, in every Assembly constituency, 60,000 to 62,000 people were promised immediate payment of Rs 10,000 and an additional Rs 2 lakh later. He alleged that officers told people these benefits would continue only if the NDA returned to power. His accusation was direct and unambiguous.

With these developments, it becomes clear that the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana was not merely an economic policy but a carefully shaped political strategy. It carried elements of welfare, competition, governance pressure, and election timing — all of which contributed to NDA’s large victory in Bihar.