Key Points
- The NDA released its comprehensive manifesto titled ‘Sankalp Patra 2025’ on Friday, October 30, at Hotel Maurya in Patna, promising 1 crore government jobs and employment opportunities for Bihar’s youth
- The manifesto features 24 key promises targeting multiple sectors, including employment generation, women’s empowerment, agricultural development, infrastructure expansion, and educational reforms
- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP President JP Nadda, Union Ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, and RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha jointly released the document in the presence of senior NDA alliance leaders
- Major economic commitments include Rs 1 lakh crore investment in agricultural infrastructure, Rs 1 lakh crore for industrial development, and the establishment of 10 new industrial parks in every district
- The manifesto positions itself as “PM Modi’s guarantee and CM Nitish Kumar’s trust,” directly contrasting with the Mahagathbandhan’s welfare-focused promises
Patna: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formally launched its ambitious ‘Sankalp Patra 2025’ for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections on Friday at Hotel Maurya in Patna, unveiling a comprehensive vision document that attempts to address every segment of society. The manifesto release witnessed the presence of all five constituent party leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from JD(U), BJP National President JP Nadda, Hindustani Awam Morcha patron Jitan Ram Manjhi, LJP (Ram Vilas) President Chirag Paswan, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha President Upendra Kushwaha. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary briefed the media on the manifesto’s key provisions, emphasizing that the document represents a binding commitment from the alliance.
Employment Revolution: 1 Crore Jobs Target
The centerpiece of the NDA manifesto is the unprecedented promise to create over 1 crore (10 million) government jobs and employment opportunities, positioning Bihar as a major employment generation hub. To achieve this ambitious target, the alliance has pledged to conduct a comprehensive skill census to map youth capabilities and provide skill-based employment tailored to individual qualifications. The manifesto announces the establishment of Mega Skill Centres in every district of Bihar, intending to transform the state into a global skilling hub capable of supplying a trained workforce to industries worldwide. Additionally, the plan includes creating a Bihar Sports City and establishing ‘Centres of Excellence’ for sports development in all divisions, which will generate both employment and sporting talent.
Industrial Transformation and Manufacturing Push
The NDA has committed to launching an industrial revolution in Bihar through massive investments totaling Rs 1 lakh crore under the ‘Vikas Bihar Industrial Mission’. The manifesto promises the construction of at least one modern manufacturing unit and 10 new industrial parks in every district, fundamentally altering Bihar’s industrial landscape. To support micro, small, and medium enterprises, the alliance plans to establish 100 MSME parks across the state and facilitate the creation of over 50,000 cottage enterprises, providing grassroots-level employment. In a significant technology-focused initiative, the manifesto announces the establishment of the Defense Corridor, Semiconductor Manufacturing Parks, and Chipset Manufacturing Parks to position Bihar in the high-tech manufacturing sector.
Women’s Empowerment: Lakhpati Didi Initiative
Women’s economic empowerment receives special attention in the manifesto with multiple targeted schemes. The Chief Minister Women Employment Scheme (Mahila Rojgar Yojana) promises financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh to support 22 lakh women in starting their own businesses and becoming financially independent. The ambitious ‘Lakhpati Didi Yojana’ sets a target of making 1 crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’ by providing them resources and training to earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually. Taking this further, ‘Mission Crorepati’ aims to create women entrepreneurs who can build businesses worth crores of rupees, marking a paradigm shift in women’s economic participation.
Agricultural Reforms and Farmer Support
The manifesto introduces the ‘Karpoori Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi’ scheme, which will supplement the central government’s PM-KISAN scheme of Rs 6,000 annually with an additional Rs 3,000 from the state government, bringing total annual assistance to Rs 9,000 per farmer. For fisheries sector workers, financial assistance has been doubled from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000 annually, recognizing their contribution to the state’s economy. A groundbreaking promise includes a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, including paddy, wheat, pulses, and maize, with procurement facilities at the Panchayat level to ensure farmers receive fair prices without traveling long distances. The NDA has committed Rs 1 lakh crore investment specifically for agricultural infrastructure development, aimed at modernizing farming practices and storage facilities.
Educational Excellence and Social Welfare
The manifesto promises revolutionary changes in Bihar’s education system, starting with free quality education from Kindergarten to Postgraduate level for students from economically weaker sections. To improve nutrition and attendance, the alliance plans to provide a nutritious breakfast along with the existing mid-day meal scheme in all government schools. For Scheduled Caste students, residential schools will be established in every sub-division, ensuring quality boarding education facilities, while SC/ST students in higher educational institutions will receive Rs 2,000 per month as scholarship support. The manifesto also announces financial assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh for students from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) to pursue higher education and professional courses. An allocation of Rs 5,000 crore has been earmarked for upgrading key schools across Bihar with modern infrastructure and teaching facilities.
Infrastructure Mega Projects
The NDA’s infrastructure vision includes the construction of 7 expressways connecting major cities and towns, along with the modernization of 3,600 kilometers of railway tracks to improve connectivity and reduce travel time across Bihar. In a major announcement for urban mobility, metro rail services will be launched in four new cities beyond Patna, including Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, and Bhagalpur. The manifesto promises international airports in Patna, Darbhanga, Purnia, and Bhagalpur, positioning Bihar as an aviation hub in eastern India. A visionary ‘New Patna’ greenfield city will be developed near the state capital, featuring modern industries, IT parks, residential complexes, and state-of-the-art transport facilities.
Healthcare and Medical Infrastructure
To address Bihar’s healthcare challenges, the NDA has committed to establishing a world-class Medicity and at least one Medical College in every district, dramatically expanding medical education seats and healthcare access. Every citizen will be covered under a health insurance scheme providing up to Rs 5 lakh for medical treatment annually, ensuring that no family faces financial hardship due to medical emergencies. This comprehensive healthcare infrastructure development aims to eliminate the need for Biharis to travel to neighboring states for quality medical care.
Panchaamrit Guarantee for the Poor
The manifesto introduces the ‘Panchaamrit Guarantee’ scheme, a five-point welfare package specifically designed for economically disadvantaged families. This comprehensive welfare initiative includes construction of 50 lakh new pucca (permanent) houses for homeless families, the continuation of free ration distribution to ensure food security, provision of 125 units of free electricity monthly to reduce household expenses, health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for medical treatment, and enhanced social security pension for elderly, widows, and disabled persons. These interconnected benefits aim to create a comprehensive social safety net for Bihar’s poor.
Religious Tourism and Cultural Development
The NDA has announced the transformation of Sitamarhi, birthplace of Goddess Sita, into a world-class spiritual city called ‘Sitapuram,’ featuring modern amenities while preserving religious sanctity. The manifesto includes the development of major religious sites, including Vishnupad Temple in Gaya, Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, and other significant pilgrimage destinations as global tourism centers. This religious tourism development plan aims to attract millions of domestic and international pilgrims, generating substantial employment and economic activity.
Special Focus on Extremely Backward Classes
Recognizing the unique challenges faced by Extremely Backward Classes, the manifesto promises financial assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh to various occupational groups within EBC communities to help them upgrade their traditional businesses or start new enterprises. The NDA has committed to forming a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to comprehensively assess the socio-economic conditions of EBC communities and recommend targeted interventions for their advancement. This committee’s recommendations will guide future policy-making to ensure inclusive development.
Flood-Free Bihar Mission
Addressing one of Bihar’s most persistent challenges, the manifesto sets an ambitious target of making Bihar flood-free within the next five years through comprehensive river management, embankment strengthening, and drainage infrastructure development. This mission represents a long-term commitment to solving the annual flooding crisis that affects millions of Biharis and disrupts agricultural productivity.
Political Positioning and Alliance Unity
BJP Bihar State President Dr. Dilip Jaiswal described the manifesto as embodying “the guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the trust of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,” emphasizing that voters can rely on the alliance’s track record of delivery. In a pointed political attack, Jaiswal alleged that “the public of Bihar will not forgive Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav for ruining Bihar,” framing the election as a choice between development and regression. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing an election rally in Samastipur earlier this week, compared the five-party NDA alliance to the Pandavas of the Mahabharata, asserting that the alliance would work unitedly to ensure Bihar’s progress and prevent the return of ‘jungle raj’ under the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Manifesto Versus Mahagathbandhan Promises
The NDA’s manifesto presents a sharply contrasting vision compared to the opposition Mahagathbandhan’s welfare-focused promises. While the Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav with Congress and Left partners, emphasizes social security and job guarantee programs with direct monthly payments and guaranteed government employment for every family, the NDA focuses on large-scale economic growth through infrastructure-led development and industrialization. The fundamental difference lies in approach: the Mahagathbandhan promises immediate household-level welfare guarantees and restoration of old pension schemes, while the NDA pledges aggregate job creation at scale (1 crore jobs) through market-growth routes rather than guaranteed public-sector positions. This represents a classic debate between welfare redistribution versus growth-oriented development models.
Election Timeline and Next Steps
The Bihar Assembly elections will be conducted in two phases on November 6 and November 11, 2025, with vote counting and results scheduled for November 14, 2025. Immediately after the manifesto release, all senior NDA leaders dispersed across the state to launch intensive election campaigns, focusing on explaining the manifesto’s promises to voters in their respective constituencies. The NDA hopes that its blend of “guarantees and trust” backed by PM Modi’s national credibility and CM Nitish Kumar’s state-level experience will resonate with voters seeking stability, employment opportunities, and comprehensive modernization.
