Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi spearheaded a spirited protest outside the state legislative council on Monday, urging the Nitish Kumar-led government to roll out populist measures like free electricity, cheaper cooking gas, and social security benefits for women. The demonstration, joined by fellow Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, took place just hours before the state budget was set to be presented in the assembly.

Rabri Devi, who serves as the leader of the opposition in the Vidhan Parishad, outlined specific demands, including a monthly stipend of Rs 2,500 for impoverished women and a steep reduction in cooking gas prices. “A cylinder costs Rs 1,200 now—poor families can’t afford it. The government should bring it down to Rs 500,” she asserted. She also called for 200 units of free electricity per month for households, vowing to keep the pressure on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) until these promises are met.

The protest echoes demands raised a day earlier by her son, Tejashwi Yadav, the former deputy CM and RJD’s prominent face in the Mahagathbandhan coalition. At a press conference on Sunday, Yadav warned that if the NDA fails to include these measures in the budget—the last before the assembly elections later this year—the opposition would ensure their implementation upon taking power.