BJP in Bihar to showcase schemes for entrepreneurs, poor

In Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present a new image of his government - of being away from 'big' industry. The prime minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership will showcase how central government schemes such as the skill development mission, helping small entrepreneurs with loans through MUDRA Bank and launching of social security schemes have benefited the poor and the youth of Bihar the most.

Of all the states, the disbursement of Mudra (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Limited) Bank loans through Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) has been the highest in Bihar until September 10. According to the data on the Mudra Bank website, the 56 RRBs have disbursed Rs 3,413 crore to 375,000 entrepreneurs across the country this financial year. Of this, as much as a fourth or Rs 9,494 million has been disbursed to 108,690 bank accounts by three RRBs of Bihar alone. These banks are Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank (sponsored by Central Bank of India), Madhya Bihar Gramin Bank (sponsored by Punjab National Bank) and UCO Bank-sponsored Bihar Gramin Bank.

The MUDRA Bank, launched on April 8, gives small loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to individual entrepreneurs involved in small businesses such as manufacturing of pickles, papad, tomato sauce, footwear, dairy products, general engineering workshops, wooden furniture, etc.

BJP leaders, privy to the party strategy in Bihar, claim these loans to have largely helped the youth of the state, particularly those that BJP's rivals Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal (United)'s Nitish Kumar consider part of their vote banks.

Nearly half of the 66.8 million electorate of Bihar is in the age group of 18-40 years and as many as 18 million is below 30. The BJP is keen to reach out to the youth among the Yadavs, known to be supporters of Lalu Prasad and comprising 15 per cent of the state's population.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also announced several sops to woo the youth of his state. This includes a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 for 20-25 age group youth for nine months, promise of cheaper loans to youth and setting up a Rs 500 crore venture capital fund for young entrepreneurs.

Similarly, the state is seeing a significant number of skill development training centres being set up in recent months.

NDA allies leave seat-sharing decision to Modi and Shah

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Bihar allies are close to reaching a decision in their seat-sharing talks for the 243- member Bihar Assembly polls. The five-phase polls are scheduled from October 12 to November 5. On Thursday, Hindustani Awam Party (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Loktantrik Samata Party's Upendra Kushwaha authorised BJP to take a final call on the number of seats that each party will get. According to sources, this followed after an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the National Democratic Alliance should fight Bihar polls with unity. BJP could contest 160 seats, leaving around 80 seats for its alliance partners, sources added.
Exit poll. enter BJP?

The India Today-Cicero pre-poll survey on Thursday claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party–led National Democratic Alliance will just about cross the halfway mark in the Bihar Assembly polls to form the next government. The India TV-C Voter, which had released its pre-poll survey on Wednesday, had claimed that the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress alliance was likely to cross the halfway mark