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The chief minister slammed the opposition for making ‘misleading promises’ to dupe the youth regarding government jobs and employment
Nitish Kumar’s response seeks to undercut the credibility of these promises by invoking the spectre of the RJD’s past. File image/PTI
Chief minister Nitish Kumar has intensified the electoral war over the crucial issue of employment, using the social media platform X to launch a direct and pointed attack against the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its leader, Tejashwi Yadav.
In his post, the chief minister slammed the opposition for making “misleading promises” to dupe the youth regarding government jobs and employment. The core of his message was a scathing recollection of the RJD’s 15-year rule (often referred to as the Lalu-Rabri era), alleging they were “busy looting the state’s treasury” rather than working for the youth.
•वर्ष 2005 से पहले अशिक्षा, बेरोजगारी और पलायन बिहार की नियति बन गई थी। युवाओं की उच्च शिक्षा के लिए अच्छे संस्थान नहीं थे, युवाओं के सामने अंधकार था, युवाओं को उच्च शिक्षा के लिए राज्य से बाहर जाना पड़ता था।•बिहार के युवाओं को अन्य राज्यों में ही रोजगार ढूंढ़ना पड़ता था तथा…— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) October 28, 2025
The Political Context: A Job-Centric Battle
This attack is strategically timed, coming as the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan makes job creation the central pillar of its campaign. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has made bold, specific promises, including:
- Regularising contractual workers and community mobilisers (known as ‘Jeevika Didis’).
- Promising a high monthly salary of Rs 30,000 for Jeevika Didis.
- The mega-promise of a government job for one member of every family, backed by an earlier commitment to deliver 10 lakh jobs immediately upon coming to power.
Nitish Kumar’s response seeks to undercut the credibility of these promises by invoking the spectre of the RJD’s past. The “15-year rule” is frequently attacked by the NDA as the period of “Jungle Raj”, characterised by widespread crime, economic stagnation, and the massive flight of industry and investment—factors that severely curtailed job creation.
The NDA’s Counter-Narrative
The chief minister’s aggressive defence is supported by the NDA’s counterclaims of progress:
Highlighting Achievements: The government claims to have provided over 9.6 lakh government jobs and created employment for nearly 39 lakh people under its current 2020-2025 mandate. A significant portion of this involves the recruitment of over 2.6 lakh teachers across three phases of the BPSC examination, a fact frequently cited to demonstrate the government’s active commitment to filling vacancies.
Setting New Targets: The NDA is now promising to double its goal, aiming to create jobs and employment opportunities for one crore youth over the next five years (2025-2030), including in the private and industrial sectors.
By contrasting his government’s quantifiable achievements with the RJD’s “looting” past and “misleading” future promises, Kumar aims to appeal to the older, cautious voter base that values stability (Sushasan) and fears a return to the chaotic 1990s. The election thus pits the RJD’s aspirational promise of immediate employment against the NDA’s narrative of continuous governance and progressive development.
Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He trawls X via …Read More
Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He trawls X via … Read More
October 28, 2025, 18:06 IST
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