INDIA Bloc Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav promised cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 each if the opposition alliance forms the next government in Bihar, during a high-energy rally in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday. Sharing the stage with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Sakra in Muzaffarpur district, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader declared, "Gas cylinders will be available for Rs 500 if Tejashwi forms the next government." The pledge aligns with the Mahagathbandhan's manifesto, "Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran", released the previous day, which also guarantees one government job per family, Rs 2,500 monthly for women, and 200 units of free electricity per household.

Yadav launched a fierce attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's NDA government, accusing the BJP of operating Bihar "through remote control" with Kumar as a mere puppet. "We Biharis must drive out the government controlled by outsiders (baahari), who seek votes here but set up factories only in Gujarat," he thundered, rallying the crowd to chant for a "yuva ki sarkaar" (youth government). Sporting a T-shirt to emphasise his youthful image against the 70-something Kumar, Yadav vowed a corruption-free, crime-free Bihar and no tolerance for communal hatred.

Accusing the NDA of copying his promises out of electoral fear, Yadav cited free electricity as an example: "We promised 200 units; they panicked and offered 125." He contrasted his "Mai Bahin Yojana" with the government's women's scheme and pledged permanency for Jeevika didis at Rs 30,000 monthly honorarium and all contractual workers. Rahul Gandhi echoed the "remote control" critique, urging Biharis to build locally instead of migrating.

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The joint rally signals unity in the INDIA bloc ahead of the November 6-11 polls for 243 seats, with results on November 14, pitting Yadav against the NDA's likely Kumar continuation amid fierce competition in this migration-plagued state.

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