Nitish Kumar Seeks Rejuvenation Of His Legacy With A Renamed Yatra

Nitish Kumar’s attempt to reinfuse life into the public perception around himself has hit a roadblock.

From 15 December, Kumar was scheduled to interact with the women of Bihar through the ‘Mahila Samvad Yatra.’

The proximity between its announcement date and the Jharkhand and Maharashtra election results indicated that Kumar and his team wanted to replicate the success stories of both states in the 2025 Assembly Election (AE) of Bihar.

However, the opposition took him head-on, and Lalu Yadav even used unparliamentary language to dismiss his Yatra as inconsequential. Yadav alleged that Nitish Kumar was undertaking this Yatra to ‘ogle at women.’

Moreover, his son Tejashwi Yadav also announced that if his party (RJD) comes to power, it would provide Rs 2,500 per month to women in Bihar, modelled on the Maiya Samman Yojana in nearby Jharkhand.

Yadav has named his scheme the ‘Mai Bahin Maan Yojana.’

On the other hand, Nitish Kumar had no such immediate incentives to offer women, even as he seemed set to undertake a yatra in their name.

Considering how he has been launching scathing attacks on the pre-2005 era of Jungle Raj in recent months, it was expected that Kumar would draw a comparative analysis of the status of women during his and Lalu’s tenures and project himself as the more suitable chief minister for them.

But the problem with Kumar is that he is now a victim of his own success when it comes to women empowerment schemes.

Kumar has, in fact, proved to be the best chief minister of Bihar for women. From providing school uniforms and bicycles to introducing horizontal and vertical reservations in Panchayats and jobs, Kumar has offered numerous incentives to women, enabling them to step out of their homes and occupy powerful positions in society.

Even his trademark liquor ban has been advertised as a measure introduced to serve women’s interests.

These voters now demand something new, such as immediate cash incentive schemes, with amounts that need to compete with those offered in more developed states like Maharashtra, or Madhya Pradesh. Unfortunately, such resources are not readily available to Kumar.

Secondly, Prashant Kishor’s opinions on the liquor ban have also gained mainstream attention. Kishor portrays the liquor ban as anti-women, highlighting how lakhs of women are forced to fend for themselves and frequently visit police stations to secure the release of their male family members who are arrested for flouting the ban.

Another issue that could hurt Kumar’s popularity among women is his derogatory comment in the Bihar Assembly about educated women acting smart during the reproductive process.

Although the matter had subsided, and the opposition did not escalate it much—given the tacit understanding in Bihar politics that Kumar does not engage in below-the-belt attacks.

However, Lalu Yadav broke from 'tradition' and concerns that the unscripted parts of Kumar's yatra could lead to further controversies are thus valid.

Ultimately, Kumar had to alter the theme of his project, shifting the focus from women to the development of the entire state. The yatra was renamed the "Pragati Yatra." The government has approved Rs 225 crore for the same.

This "Pragati Yatra" will commence on 23 December in Valmikinagar, West Champaran, followed by East Champaran on 24 December.

The journey will pause on 25 December in observance of Christmas, resuming on 26 December in Sheohar and Sitamarhi. On 27 December, Nitish Kumar will visit Muzaffarpur, with the yatra concluding on 28 December in Vaishali. After completing the tour in Vaishali, he will return to Patna.

During this journey, Nitish Kumar will review development projects across various districts and engage in dialogue with the public. Moreover, the rescheduling during the peak winter months has allowed Kumar to quell rumours regarding his health.

Except for his yatra before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kumar has consistently been successful in leveraging such initiatives.