Women in Bihar voted overwhelmingly for the NDA in the assembly elections. This was evident from the turnout figures, as women voted 9% more than men in the record-breaking polling.

It is usually difficult to gauge the voting preferences of rural women beforehand, but this time, the undercurrent of support driven by the Rs10,000 assistance provided under the Mukhyamantri Rozgar Yojana was clearly visible. It appears women, in general, placed strong trust in Nitish Kumar.

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Cash schemes have been the reason behind the ruling parties’ victories in several states, which encouraged the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government to offer every eligible woman Rs10,000 in cash assistance along with collateral-free loans of up to Rs2 lakh. This cash transfer became the NDA’s winning formula in

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