• Source:JND
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As the NDA appeared to register a landslide victory in Bihar on Friday, Patna's skyline saw a visual grammar of its own -- bold, swaggering, and unmistakably centered on one man: Nitish Kumar. With the Jan Suraaj Party, led by former poll strategist Prashant Kishor, making its electoral debut, all eyes are on whether the state's political landscape is in for a major shake-up or a familiar verdict.

However, as the election results are nearly out, it has been clearly visible that the Bihar population has still immense faith on the showman, Nitish Kumar.

What favoured Nitish Kumar to drive the election results in his favour? There is only one word- trust. In Bihar, domestic violence due to alcohol has long been a debate. When Kumar announced to ban on liquor in the state around 9 years ago, it was a major morale boost for women in the state who had faced violence from their drunken husbands.

Women voters drive Nitish Kumar to a record 10th term as CM

Nitish Kumar has secured a historic tenth term as Chief Minister, a victory largely attributed to the robust support of women voters. Beyond the political calculus, an emotional connection seemed to be at play, with many citizens viewing this as potentially his last election and crediting him with ending the era once labeled as 'Jungle Raj' in Bihar. The electorate appears to have rewarded him for two decades of consistent governance.

Direct benefits and quotas earn support

A key factor in this female support was the NDA's pre-poll initiative, the Mukhyamanti Mahila Rojgar Yojana. This Rs 7,500-crore Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme aims to foster self-employment, providing 1.2 crore women with Rs 10,000 each. This policy reinforces earlier initiatives by Kumar, including 50% reservation for women in panchayats (2006) and a 35 per ent quota in state government jobs (2013).

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Election Commission data strongly indicates this wave of support, showing women outvoted men in 37 of Bihar's 38 districts. Women's turnout reached 71.78 per cent, significantly higher than the 62.98 per cent recorded for men, contributing to Bihar’s highest-ever overall turnout of 67.13 per cent. Only in Patna did men's turnout surpass that of women.

Prohibition policy fears solidify backing

The Chief Minister's strong stance on liquor prohibition also played a decisive role. Implemented since April 2016, the complete ban on alcohol has been a divisive issue, yet the threat of its potential rollback reportedly alarmed a large section of women. Many women feared a return to the domestic violence and social issues associated with alcohol abuse.

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Despite enforcement challenges, women largely directed their criticism at those consuming spurious liquor rather than blaming Kumar for the policy's shortcomings. Conversely, Tejashwi Yadav's promise to exempt toddy (a traditional palm drink) from prohibition laws, an effort to court the Pasi community, may have inadvertently reinforced support for Nitish Kumar among other women voters concerned about the policy's future.

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