Less than two weeks are left for the Bihar assembly elections. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav spoke about a series of high-value promises which were aimed at the backbone of local governance, the state’s Panchayati Raj representatives. Tejashwi Yadav said that if the INDIA bloc emerges victorious in the upcoming elections, the allowances for gram-panchayat, panchayat-samiti and zila-parishad members will be doubled and representatives will get pensions, insurance cover and additional amenities. The announcement gives a sign of a strategic push to solidify support in rural constituencies where local functionaries carry significance.
A financial reboot for local governance
According to The Indian Express, Tejashwi Yadav’s proposal consists of a full pension scheme for Panchayati Raj heads who have long asked for financial security. It will ensure doubling of existing honorariums, and a ₹50-lakh insurance coverage for each representative. He highlighted that such modifications reflect how Panchayati Raj institutions work as frontline nodes of governance in Bihar and deserve commensurate benefits. The zila-parishad presidents draw about ₹30,000 per month, vice-presidents around ₹20,000 and mukhiyas at ₹7,500 currently. The proposed advancement would raise their monthly earnings and will ensure long-term insurance protection.
Political backdrop and electoral implications
The timing of this announcement is as strategic as the promise itself. The Bihar Assembly elections will be taking place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be announced by November 14. Tejashwi Yadav moves into the influencer network of local governance by focusing on Panchayat heads. The men and women who connect daily with voters in thousands of villages are the ones working at the grassroots level, seen as a clear attempt to gather support and potentially tipping the scales in rural belts where local leaders act as gatekeepers.
Tejashwi Yadav’s pledge is more than a welfare promise; it is an electoral gambit intended towards the power holders of Bihar’s villages. The allowances, pensions and insurance on the table makes the pitch compelling, but delivering such a package would require deep funding and administrative roll-out. The deadlines are looming and campaigns are getting intensified as Bihar reaches the last two weeks remaining before the Assembly Elections.
