NDA’s cash pitch to women swung Bihar polls, says VIP chief after party draws a blank
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Patna (PTI): Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) founder Mukesh Sahani on Friday attributed his party’s rout in the Bihar assembly polls to NDA’s aggressive cash outreach to women voters, as the INDIA bloc ally failed to take a lead in any of the 12 seats it contested.
Speaking to PTI Video shortly after trends confirmed the VIP’s wipeout, despite his projection as the alliance’s deputy chief ministerial face, Sahani insisted that the verdict was the “people’s mandate”, not a reflection of organisational slack.
“Voters did not connect with our message. They trusted Nitish ji and Modi ji, and I congratulate both of them,” he said.
“We delivered our message; every alliance leader delivered theirs. But, ultimately it was the public’s verdict,” Sahani said.
Sahani argued that the NDA’s targeted promise of direct financial assistance to women was one of the decisive factors behind the INDIA bloc’s collapse.
He pointed specifically to the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY), announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on August 29, which promises Rs 2.10 lakh in instalments to women entrepreneurs to start small enterprises such as stores, dairies, tailoring units, beauty parlours or art-and-craft ventures.
The first instalment of Rs 10,000 has already been credited to the bank accounts of over 1.21 crore women enrolled under the JEEViKA self-help group network.
“Our mothers and sisters who live in poverty felt that the money would change their lives. Naturally, they voted for that promise,” Sahani said, calling the trend “a clear case of the government using state money as a campaign lever”.
He described the shift as a move from “black money distributed at midnight by strongmen” to “state money distributed in broad daylight”, contending that while dominant caste groups once bought votes covertly, “now the government itself was doing it legally”.
On the VIP’s failure to open its account, Sahani was said, “The account was not mine to open. It was for the people to open, and they didn’t. That’s all.”
The VIP had won four seats in the 2020 assembly polls.
He asserted that this moment called for acceptance, not recrimination.
“There is no problem right now. Those who won deserve the congratulations. We will review everything in the coming days and return to the people. One day, the public will open our account,” he said.
Sahani added that the VIP would continue to fight for women to receive the remaining amount under the MMRY scheme.
“We will stay in the field and hold the government to its word,” he asserted.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
