- 2 months ago
The top focus of this episode of To The Point is on the escalating political battle in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections, focusing on the intense competition for the women's vote.
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00:00But to the Bihar breaking news coming in from Battleground Bihar where both sides, the Mahagadbandan and the NDA, the two main alliances are gearing up for the campaign.
00:11The real struggle for seat sharing has been in the opposition Mahagadbandan.
00:16Now Rajasthan Chief Minister, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gelot has been drafted in by the Congress to try and resolve issues with Lanu Prasad.
00:26And Gelot has tweeted a picture of meeting AICC Bihar leader, Bihar in charge Krishna Alavaru and Lanu Prasad Yadav and Dejasvi Yadav claiming a successful meeting has been held.
00:40And they will address the press tomorrow to clarify everything.
00:43A dozen seats at the moment are still tangled where you could witness friendly fights as they are being called within the opposition Mahagadbandan.
00:53So Ashok Gelot now has been sent to contain the damage in the Mahagadbandan meeting both Lalu Prasad and Dejasvi Yadav.
01:04Okay, now while Gelot is tweeting that the talks have been successful, we are also getting breaking news on the other side because Chirak Paswan, the Lok Jan Shakti party leader and union minister from Bihar,
01:19has now targeted the Mahagadbandan claiming that when they should be out campaigning, they should leave their AC rooms and go out to campaign.
01:29What are the leaders of the Mahagadbandan doing?
01:32No one is ready to come out of their rooms.
01:34They are commenting on the health of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is campaigning on the ground.
01:39Where is Rahul Gandhi, Chirak Paswan, taking that battle into the opposition camp?
01:46Listen in to Chirak Paswan.
01:48Mahagadbandan has collapsed completely, completely, completely, completely, completely.
01:57So those people who have put in place they have to get, should they have to study that many people in India wherever they are.
02:09What do you do?
02:10They are takingذs to their colleagues in their potential, into our potential for his potential for his potential.
02:16This has much, it has much and much.
02:18That is all the people here the fight.
02:20Now we are all in India's pre-local.
02:23What are they doing?
02:24They are doing press conference.
02:25Okay, joining me now Piyush Mishra and Rohit Singh, correspondents on the spot.
02:43Let me come to you Rohit first and I want to come to that meeting that has just taken place between Ashok Gelot and Lalu Prasad.
02:50We are told that Gelot is sent by the Congress leadership because they are desperately trying to ensure these friendly fights that are taking place.
03:01All the hitches in the alliance are sorted.
03:03Is Ashok Gelot getting any success in breaking through or is the Mahagadbandan now stuck with the possibility of at least 11 to 12 friendly fights?
03:20Okay, we'll go to Piyush Mishra.
03:23Piyush Mishra, you can tell us what's happening with Chirag.
03:26Chirag Paswan in the last election was taking on Nitish Kumar.
03:30This time, he seems to be standing by Nitish Kumar at least for now.
03:34Well, absolutely, he is also in all praise for Nitish Kumar and we also heard what he spoke on the rift within the Bahagadbandan.
03:47All two, in fact, NDA is now seems to be standing united.
03:52Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwa were the one who had fought independent in 2020 SME elections.
03:59But now they both are with Chirag Paswan and it is somewhere supporting Nitish Kumar.
04:07Why?
04:07Because they were around, you know, 70% seats where J.D.U. had contested in 2020 where Chirag Paswan had made an effect.
04:15And because of his party, various seats were lost by Nitish Kumar.
04:20And now, this time, what we are seeing is how Chirag Paswan is standing united and is one of the strongest pillars of NDA.
04:30And he is also taking part in political campaign of J.D.U. candidate.
04:34So, this shows us to how NDA is standing united.
04:36But on the other side, Mahagadbandan is still facing a lot of problems.
04:41The rift is widening day by day.
04:42Let me go to the Mahagadbandan story to Rohit Singh.
04:57He is joining us also at the moment.
04:59Rohit, you know, we've had these meetings taking place between Lalu Prasad and Ashok Gelod.
05:04So, has Ashok Gelod been able to break the ice or will the Mahagadbandan have to live with the fact that there will be these friendly fights?
05:17No, Rajdi.
05:18One thing is very definite that the friendly fights, that is the 12 seats, assembly seats where Mahagadbandan is pitted against the Mahagadbandan.
05:27And that is going to happen because tomorrow is the last day of withdrawal of nominations and I don't see that anyone is willing to budge, whether it's RJD or the Congress.
05:39But what really has happened today in that crucial meeting is that they have tried to iron the differences at least because the perception that was being created that there is massive rift in the Mahagadbandan.
05:52In fact, there was complete breakdown of talks between the RJD and the Congress and that was sending out a very wrong signal.
06:01And that is why we have seen that today the Congress top brass sent Ashok Gelod to Patna as an emissary who spoke to Lalu Prasad and Tejasvi Adav.
06:11And finally, they have tried to break the ice.
06:14They are back to the talking tables.
06:16And tomorrow, what we are learning is, Rajdi, that a proper press conference of the Mahagadbandan is all set to take place.
06:24Timing is not sure.
06:25But tomorrow, the Mahagadbandan leaders will be meeting together.
06:28A press conference will take place and a message will be tried to send out that now all the differences are over.
06:34The Mahagadbandan is united.
06:36And then they will, in fact, begin with their campaigning for the Bihar Assembly elections.
06:41But despite that, all those dozen seats where Mahagadbandan is pitted against Mahagadbandan, that is going to happen.
06:49Back to you.
06:50Right.
06:55Okay.
06:56Rohit and Piyush, appreciate you joining us with those details.
07:00Tejasvi Adav, remember, is the face, in a way, of the opposition.
07:04And he did a press conference today where he attempted to counter the BJP NDA's attempt to woo women voters.
07:12Remember, the BJP under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana has already announced 10,000 rupees to Jivika Didis.
07:19These are women who work with self-help groups.
07:22And they have been given a one-time 10,000 rupees payment, cash transfer, ahead of the elections.
07:30And the fact is, more than 1.2 crore women have benefited.
07:36Many believe this could be a game changer.
07:37So how has Tejasvi Adav responded?
07:40Well, he's claimed he's going to give these Jivika Didis, as they are called, permanent jobs.
07:44He's promising them interest-free loan waivers and is ensuring, he says, that they will be given the kind of benefits that he says the NDA cannot.
07:58The entire attempt at the moment seems to be, who will win the crucial Mahila voter?
08:04The battle for the women vote is our focus on To The Point.
08:09Take a look.
08:09The battle for Bihar taking a fiery turn.
08:20With polls being just weeks away, RJD's Tejasvi Adav has rolled out his headline-grabbing promise for Jivika Didis.
08:27Loan waivers, interest-free credit, permanent jobs for contract workers.
08:32A direct challenge to the NDA's earlier outreach via their own Jivika Didis scheme.
08:37The BJP has launched a scathing attack in response, reminding Bihar that last time,
09:07the Lalu clan had dured Biharis out of the land by promising railway jobs, mocking Tejasvi's claim to provide employment and safety to women.
09:14The NDA is not lagging behind either.
09:35For women under the Mukya Mantri Rojgar Yojana, Nitish Kumar has distributed Rs. 10,000 in direct cash transfer to one woman in each household.
09:45They have also announced 35% reservation for women in all government jobs.
09:49The first four rows of seats and buses are going to be reserved for women.
09:53There is an honorarium hike for women health workers promised by the NDA.
09:57For Jivika Didis, there will be interest subsidy on loans of Rs. 3 to 10 lakh.
10:01With politics, promises and power plays being in full swing, Bihar's voters are watching closely.
10:10With Rohit Singh in Patna, Bureau Report, India Today.
10:13So, why is there so much attention in this election to the Mahila voter?
10:22Who holds the cards when it comes to the woman voter of Bihar?
10:27What do the trends suggest, particularly from the last three elections held in Bihar from 2010 to 2020?
10:35My colleague, Akshita Nand Gopal, now breaks it down for us, the Mahila voter.
10:41Over to you, Akshita.
10:42Thanks very much, Rajdeep.
10:44Let's begin by taking a look at what really the vote percentage of women voters in Bihar has been in previous elections.
10:50This election, about 3.5 crore women voters will be casting their vote.
10:56But you take a look back and it's increased, which is great news, from 2010 to 2015 to 2020.
11:00That number has only gone up. In 2020, for example, the last election in Bihar, it was at 62.57.
11:07Compare that and contrast that to men voters in Bihar, which is about 54%.
11:11And you see why there's so much focus and attention on the women vote.
11:16But let's go back also and take a look at which way women voted in the previous elections in Bihar.
11:22If we were to break it down for you between the Mahagat Bandhan NDA and others, it was close.
11:27So in 2020, 38% of women chose the NDA, 37% chose the Mahagat Bandhan, 25% chose the other parties also in the fray.
11:36So this, of course, is something that shows you that it was very close between each of these parties,
11:42that there wasn't a very clear mandate that came in from the women voters to any one side.
11:47But also let's talk about representation.
11:49You know, we're looking at a whole lot of promises that are coming in.
11:53What exactly is the representation for women, for the Mahila in the Bihar Assembly?
11:59So in 2010, it was about 14%. About 34 women MLAs were there in the Bihar Assembly.
12:04In 2015, that number unfortunately came down.
12:07I showed you an earlier graphic where you had the number of women voters going up.
12:10But almost in sharp contrast to that, here you've got a downward graph where every election, that number comes down unfortunately.
12:18So from 34 in 2010 to 2020, you had 23 women MLAs.
12:22That's it. 23 women MLAs.
12:25And that's something to seriously talk about.
12:28Let's also take a look at really what kind of representation has been given to women in different parties.
12:35If I were to look at really the number of women candidates, the highest would be with the RJD.
12:41In the 143 seats that they're contesting, 24 women candidates have been fielded.
12:45But if I were to break that down to a percentage based on how many seats they're contesting,
12:50then it's actually in fact the H.A.M. Manjis party that's giving the maximum representation to women
12:56because of the six seats they're contesting to our women candidates.
12:59At 33%, they're having the maximum representation.
13:02Again, a number that I'd say is seriously wanting here.
13:05We should be talking about greater representation of women.
13:09These parties, while trying to woo women voters, perhaps should also walk the talk.
13:13And what perhaps could help the most is actually having representation of the Mahila,
13:17which unfortunately you don't see in the form of women candidates or for that matter in the Assembly.
13:23Let's also take a look at the promises that have been put forth.
13:26They're not walking the talk clearly, but they're going all out to woo women voters in Bihar.
13:32And both sides are. Both sides are guilty of doing that.
13:35Each of them putting forth their own schemes.
13:37You had the NDA announcing a scheme for rural women called Jeevika Nidhi.
13:42And then you've got, as a response to that, the Mahagat Bandhan to counter that particular scheme,
13:47announcing permanent jobs and saying that this is for Jeevika Didi.
13:51So it's a direct, you know, take on off that particular scheme.
13:54They've announced, the NDA said direct bank transfers to women groups.
13:59The Mahagat Bandhan has said 30,000 rupees per month.
14:02This is a salary essentially as part of the Jeevika Didi scheme that they have announced.
14:0810,000 rupees dispersed to 75 lakh women via DBT.
14:12And this was considered, this was something of course that the NDA has spoken of and has done.
14:17The Mahagat Bandhan has announced that they will ensure interest-free loans for two years.
14:22This is something that Tejasvi Yadav has announced clearly to counter the NDA.
14:26105 crores out of 1,000 crores has already been released by the NDA in a big move to woo the Mahila.
14:33The Mahagat Bandhan has announced, on the other hand, that if they are brought to power,
14:37they will ensure an insurance cover besides job, besides going ahead and insuring a loan waiver.
14:42Insurance cover of up to 5 lakh rupees is something the Mahagat Bandhan has also promised.
14:47Pensions increased to 1.1k per month by the NDA in the run-up to the election.
14:54The Mahagat Bandhan has announced that all contract workers will be made permanent.
15:00So these are in fact the promises that have been made by both sides for women.
15:04It's of course promises that are coming in for the election season.
15:08Women voters will be feeling extremely important.
15:10But I do wish, Rajdeep, that it lasts beyond the election season as well.
15:14Well, we have many more women in the newsroom than it seems political parties have at the moment.
15:25And that's the good news when it comes to newsrooms, particularly television newsrooms compared to political parties.
15:30But I appreciate you giving us those details, Akshita.
15:33What the good news is, we have an all-women's panel.
15:37And that makes it interesting.
15:38Thank you ladies for joining us.
15:52Great to have you on the show.
15:54I want to turn to you, Sujata Paul, at the very outset.
15:57Today, suddenly, we have Tejasvi Yadav saying,
16:01I'm going to give 30,000 rupees a month to Jivika Divis.
16:04Now, at any conservative estimate, there are more than 1.2 crore Jivika Didis in Bihar who lead self-help groups.
16:12Nitish Kumar has nurtured them almost for two decades.
16:15Now, you're promising them 30,000 rupees a month.
16:18Where will you get the money from?
16:20Is this simply an attempt to damage control because the Jivika Didi scheme of the NDA has already given 10,000 rupees one-time payment to women?
16:30So, this is your counter to it.
16:32Is it too late?
16:34And where will the money come from?
16:37Good evening, Rajdeep.
16:38Good evening to my co-panelists and to your audiences.
16:41Now, the fact of the matter is, this is a very good question as to where the money is going to come from.
16:45Where is the money coming from at the moment when 10,000 rupees are being transferred directly into women's account?
16:52The fact is that if there is a debt on Bihar government, there is a debt on the government of India as well, right?
17:01And we are leading the World Bank debt.
17:03So, the fact is that we know exactly how we are going to empower our people and especially our women.
17:11Because today it is the women who have been hit the most, not just by unemployment, price rise, but also the fact that their children, their daughters and their sons have no job.
17:23The Agni B. Riojana is something that people are opposing and there was a group of youngsters who in 2023 marched from Champaran to Delhi.
17:32Why?
17:33Because they need their jobs.
17:34And today when we are talking about contract workers, workers being made permanent, that clearly shows that we have a clear vision for the people.
17:44The government jobs have been destroyed by the BJP and we are going to ensure that things become stable again for people.
17:51And the last point is...
17:52You don't have enough, ma'am, but where are these jobs?
17:54How are you going to create these jobs in the first place, given the limitation that exists in any state government?
18:03When you say contract workers will be made permanent, where will you get, I repeat, 30,000 rupees per month to more than one crore women?
18:11That's a huge amount for a state like Bihar.
18:14Don't forget that...
18:15You've not done the past.
18:16No, don't forget, Razeev, that when we released our manifesto for the looks of our excellence, we said that we are going to ensure that every private company also comes forward to make sure that our youngsters are made interns over there.
18:32But it is not we who came into power.
18:36It was the BJP, right?
18:37So what has the BJP done?
18:39They have implemented the same program, the same scheme.
18:43Why? Because we have a clear vision and the BJP, which has been in power in the centre for 11 years, don't know what they're doing.
18:50So as far as Bihar is concerned, we know exactly how we are going to provide jobs, how we are going to make things better for the people of Bihar.
18:58And of course, the CAG report has clearly told that there has been a scam of 70,877 crore rupees, which has been eaten up by the BJP JGU alliance.
19:10Where has this money gone?
19:11This money could have been used for the people of Bihar.
19:14And we are going to ensure that we give up a government which gives governance to people and a better life to people.
19:25You know, I again come, I'm not sure where the match works out.
19:28But Radhika Kheda, you see, today Tejasvi Yadav said that what the BJP had done was or the ND had done was a straightforward bribe.
19:37Just before the elections, 10,000 rupees are given to more than a crore women saying that this will be used to encourage entrepreneurship.
19:48No audit done as to where the money is going from.
19:51You do it before the festive season.
19:53You do it before elections.
19:54Prime Minister Modi used to call this rave D when the opposition did it a few years ago.
19:58Is this not a straightforward bribe if not a rave D?
20:01That's the irony of it all.
20:04You claim you all stand for women.
20:06But you remember the women only just before the elections.
20:08Good evening to everyone and happy Govardhan Pooja, a day that celebrates faith that lifts mountains.
20:15And strength to you, Rajdeep, may your courage and recovery continue to inspire many to find light even in their darkest hours.
20:21Now, when we are talking about what we are going to do for women, we have the NDA Alliance, which has been working tirelessly for the past 11 years and over 18 years in Bihar.
20:32And we have the Mahathag Bandhan, oh no, the Lut Bandhan, where family feuds, ticket sales and ego clashes are the real manifesto.
20:40Let's begin tonight with the women of these family-run parties.
20:43We have Priyanka Gandhi Badra, the only general secretary in the Congress party without a portfolio.
20:47Let's move on to RJD, where you have Misa Bharti, who has given her life fighting tooth and nail for her father, yet she is not considered even for the chief minister post.
20:55Coming to Rohini Acharya, we've seen how she's been thrown out of the family.
20:58And how can we forget their own daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai, who was pulled by the hair and thrown out of the house?
21:02This is the reality of the women in these families.
21:06Now, coming back to the promises, freebies, cash handouts, breaking the back.
21:10You have given the least number... No, no, one minute, one minute.
21:12You have given the least number of tickets, ma'am, just a minute.
21:16You have given the least number of tickets of any major party in this Bihar election, only 12%.
21:21So you can't take the moral high ground on representation in Bihar.
21:25Tell me, how many leaders, how many women leaders have the BJP thrown up in Bihar?
21:30You've been in power for 20 years.
21:33Absolutely, Rajdeep. I like your question.
21:35But we have not been pulling our own daughter-in-laws by the hair and throwing them out of the house.
21:39We have not been throwing our daughters out of the house.
21:40We have not been making Priyanka Wada the general secretary without the portfolio.
21:43And let's come to what we've done for the women of Bihar.
21:46Under Narendra Modi Ji's government in the last 11 years, there has been real change for Bihar's women.
21:50Over 4 crore women have got access to LPG under the PM, Ujula Yojna.
21:55Free from smoke of the kitchen.
21:56Jal Jeevan mission has brought tap water to rural homes.
21:59Not congresses, but pipes.
22:01The PM of us, Ujula Yojna, has ensured that a house is in a woman's name.
22:04Land, dignity and legacy.
22:06The National Rural Livelihoods mission, the NRLM, has built self-help groups that aren't asking for handouts.
22:12They are building businesses.
22:14While these dynasties are promising free for all, NDA has been delivering freedom with vision.
22:18That is the real difference between a government that empowers women and dynasties that exploit them.
22:24Compare this to the opposition politics.
22:26You have 10,000 rupees that they are promising.
22:28One is selling tickets for crores.
22:30We are not driving women.
22:31We are building women to ensure that they are independent and they don't have to ask for handouts from their family.
22:37This is the real difference between a government that empowers women and an alliance that exploits them.
22:41Sapka Saat and Sapka Vikas is what we believe in.
22:44And we have lived up to that, not with fake promises and free cash and empty guarantees and economic bankruptcy.
22:49And I would like to ask for this post-person, when she's talking about the money,
22:53we are not the party who had to eventually say that we are going to charge you for having toilets in Himachal Pradesh.
22:58That is what their parties have been reduced to fit their fake promises.
23:01The man, Mr. Yadav, he has promised two crore government jobs, one government job in every household.
23:07Where is the match coming from?
23:08Where is he going to get the money from?
23:10They are going to end up taxing people for having toilets in their houses.
23:13That's how their policy works.
23:14Okay, Radhika Khera, I have listened to you patiently.
23:18Ma'am, I have listened to you patiently.
23:20Just a correction, the Congress has given 8.2% representation to women, the BJP 12.9%.
23:26Ironically, the RJD is given the highest among the major parties, which is 16.1%.
23:31The JDU is also at work.
23:33Just a minute, ma'am.
23:34Let's turn to Kanchanaya Yadav.
23:36Because Kanchanaya Yadav, the question, no, no, you cannot get ma'am.
23:39You've already exceeded your time.
23:41Kanchanaya Yadav, the fact is that the RJD, your party, has made this announcement today.
23:48I keep, no ma'am, you must please wait.
23:51You must please wait.
23:52This is not the program where you get a chance to crosstalk.
23:55I'm sorry.
23:56Kanchanaya Yadav ji, you tell me, where does this money come from?
24:0030,000 rupees you are promising to all the Jivika didis.
24:04Please tell me, how are you going to make, where is the money in the Bihar budget that you will be able to provide 30,000 rupees a month to more than a crore women?
24:13It's one thing to make promises.
24:16How are you actually going to translate that into reality?
24:19And permanent jobs to all the contracted government employees?
24:22Okay, Rajdeep ji, I will definitely come to that point.
24:27But I want to say something, whether it's Bihar or any part of India, women voters have always been important and will remain so.
24:35And that's our stand.
24:36And in case of Bihar, women vote much more in number, as your correspondent says.
24:42Yes, because the men move to the other states for the job and other purposes for the migration.
24:49But what we have announced to bring the economic justice to the women of Bihar.
24:55To bring the economic justice because what is the female labor force participation in Bihar is only 15.6% as per the Bihar economic survey data says.
25:05And every year, 3,500 women die because of the survival cancer and there is no such institutions or hospital or specialist doctors in Bihar.
25:1630,000 women die because of the breast cancer every year in Bihar and there is no such institution or the hospital.
25:23So there is some step.
25:24We need to be taken and we will take that step.
25:28Where will the money come from, we will see it.
25:30But the truth is, ma'am, that for the last 20 years, just a minute.
25:35You are throwing numbers at me, madam, you are throwing numbers at me.
25:39Truth is, over the last 20 years, Nitish Kumar has often cornered a large section of the Mahila vote, at least a disproportional number.
25:46Way back in 2006, he had announced 50% reservation in Bihar in local self-government for women.
25:53That was seen by many as a game changer.
25:55Do you accept that the RJD is playing catch-up?
25:58Nitish Kumar was the first leader.
26:00Pahle Neta the, jinnohne women vote ka potential Bihar mein dekha.
26:05Others are playing catch-up.
26:06Do you accept that?
26:08No, no.
26:09This is not to please the women voter that we are clarifying it.
26:13We are representing.
26:14We are moving towards the economic justice and political justice as well.
26:17You can see that we have announced the maximum, we have fielded maximum number of women candidates among the highest in all political parties.
26:26So, political representation, economic representation ki baat kar hai.
26:30But my question is that, Rajdeep ji, ki in 2022, when we have announced that we will give the 10 lakh job to the youth of the Bihar,
26:41then say, Nitish Kumar says, paisa kaha se layega, jail se layega, kya kaha se layega, but we have like 5 lakh no kariya,
26:50now, we have both father, of course, kya kya, kya sada, kya, kya nahi ke kam kya.
27:02Now, nobody was expected kya harga diidhi, kya struggling anna January ki baat karan ge,
27:08or to harga harga sarkari naakari ba include hooga.
27:11Haya jayishika diidhi, jayishika diidhi ka number bihar mein 8 crore 41 lakh hai,
27:16if they have a government employee status and salary of 30,000 per month,
27:21then it will also include it in one job per, one government job per household.
27:27So, where will the plan be? Where will the plan be?
27:29We have everything in this scheme, everything in this plan.
27:32We are not like...
27:33Where will these jobs...
27:34It's 2 crore job per year.
27:35When in a state where there are only...
27:37Okay.
27:42Okay, you know, the fact is though,
27:44where will these 1.4 crore jobs come from is a question that will be legitimately asked, ma'am.
27:50I come to Shweta Priya, National Spokesperson, J.D.U.
27:53Shweta Priya, as I said earlier, Nitish Kumar was among the first leaders,
27:58certainly possibly the first in Bihar to identify the Women Vote Bank as a vote bank.
28:03But as we saw in 2020,
28:06the NDA and the Mahagadbandhan almost got an equal share of the women vote.
28:1138% to NDA, 37% to Mahagadbandhan.
28:15Will you accept that, that now even Tejasfi Yadav is being successfully able to target the women vote?
28:23Yes, Mr. Rajdeep,
28:29Yes, Mr. Rajdeep,
28:44We want to do this clearly here.
28:47They have given the amount of money,
28:49how will we come to the money, how will we do it?
28:51We want to tell Kanchanan Ji,
28:54they said that
28:551.41 lakh
28:58as many GVKs are given,
29:00they will give the government work.
29:02Now, tell us about the capacity of Bihar.
29:03Yes and she said that they are giving a government job to all the Jivikadidis means 1.4 lakh
29:14pro.
29:15Now my question is that how many government jobs available in Bihar in the entire Bihar
29:21in which 23 lakhs are already filled.
29:28They show us how much we are responsible, all the vacancies are full and they said that
29:35in 17 months they have 3 lakhs or 5 lakhs, I think she quoted 5 lakhs, 5 lakhs.
29:42The government has given them.
29:44Please tell me that WTCM has a post about whether they have power.
29:49When they have 15 years of time, until 1990-2005, they have full responsibility, full responsibility
29:58and responsibility.
29:59They asked how many people have given them.
30:01The government job was only 94,000 people in 15 years.
30:05And their deputy C.M.
30:12They are talking about this in 2015 and 2017.
30:15They came in 2005 and came in 2015.
30:18In 2015, there were 8 lakhs government jobs.
30:22And in 2020, they were committed to 10 lakhs government jobs and 10 lakhs.
30:28So they had 12 lakhs government jobs, only in 2020-2025.
30:33And the 10 lakhs, which they did, they had 35 lakhs jobs.
30:37They were committed to our commitment to 20 lakhs.
30:40And they had 50 lakhs jobs.
30:43Now, what is the difference between the government and the government?
30:47The difference between two lakhs and two lakhs, we will give a government job a couple of people.
30:56Now, please tell me, that that is not possible.
30:58That is the violation of Article 14 and 16 of our constitution.
31:01How do we give this policy?
31:02It's about 14 equality.
31:04It's about 16 equal opportunity for all the citizens in government jobs.
31:08It's about it.
31:09The state government has no power.
31:11We will call the entire people from the channel,
31:14Okay, Shweta Priya, you are doubting, you are raising doubts.
31:29Okay, you are raising, okay, one minute, one minute, your time is also up.
31:33I want to give equal time to all.
31:35Sujata Paul, you see the point of this exercise is the Mahila voter.
31:41All said and done, the good news is every political party is recognizing the woman voter.
31:46The question is, how do you actually nurture that voter to make her a participant in the election process?
31:51Out of the 61 seats you are contesting, so far only 8.8% of your candidates are women.
31:59The question is, without representation, there can be no real empowerment, many believe.
32:05Do you concede that you need to find something beyond just cash transfers?
32:09At the moment, the way to empower women that all political parties believe is cash transferred.
32:14Lad ki baiin, ladli behna, all done before the election.
32:20You are going to have to give women something more substantive.
32:24You are absolutely correct.
32:25As far as women representation is concerned, you might question us.
32:31But when we are contesting this election, we are going in as an alliance.
32:35So, if you look at the Mahagat Bandhan, there are women candidates who are there from all parties.
32:43And of course, like my colleague from the RJD has already mentioned that they have fitted many, many women.
32:51So, overall, if you look at it, I don't think there is too much of a difference between the NDA and our alliance, the Mahagat Bandhan, but we are, I think, a little ahead of them.
33:03However, having said that, when we talk about women empowerment, it is definitely, it comes from representation in the Assembly.
33:12But in addition to that, what are the issues that women are facing in Bihar?
33:17That is very important.
33:18And the fact that there is a whole lot of poverty in Bihar, but women are not being empowered when you transfer 10,000 rupees into their accounts just before elections.
33:29And in fact, the Election Commission, you know, postpones its announcement, really, even though it doesn't say it, but it does postpone it in a way to allow this transfer to happen.
33:41But Nithish Kumar, ma'am, Nithish Kumar, ma'am, ma'am, Sujata ji, Sujata ji, Nithish Kumar, one minute.
33:48Nithish Kumar could turn around and say, look, I was the one who satisfied a longstanding demand among women voters for prohibition.
33:56Now, I want, I want clarity.
33:58The fact is, Nithish Kumar is very clear.
34:01Prohibition has helped women in a sense, given them some kind of autonomy or some kind of agency.
34:09Do you agree or not that prohibition has been a positive for Bihar?
34:13Because there are others like Prashant Kishore who say prohibition has been terrible for Bihar.
34:17Where does the Congress stand on prohibition in Bihar?
34:19You know, I really cannot speak for what is happening today with the opposition, our opposition alliance, because they really don't know what is happening.
34:31And I do want to bring to the fore the fact that when JTU was with us, at that point of time, there were jobs promised and those jobs were being given.
34:41Of course, Mr. Palturam had to paltow.
34:44So that is why there was a stop.
34:46Do you also remember that the caste survey was done at that particular time?
34:51So as far as he is concerned, if he thinks that he is, he's done a lot for women, maybe he started by doing it.
34:58But then he was not with the BJP at that time.
35:00And today he has to follow the BJP also, because this is a government which is controlled by the centre.
35:05And we know that.
35:06But what I'm saying is, has Mr. Nitish Kumar done anything about the mortality rate amongst women, amongst children, giving jobs to the children of these very women that they are trying to appease at this moment by this one time direct benefit transfer?
35:22No, women need to be empowered by giving them jobs which will sustain their families over a period of time.
35:30And that is why the announcements being made by the Mahagat Bandhan serves only to further the ilk of women, further the empowerment of women.
35:41So I don't think…
35:43Your time is up, ma'am, your time is up, your time is up.
35:47Sujata Paul, your time is also up.
35:49I, Radhika Khera, Nitish Kumar, it seems, is the leader whom, over the years, is the one who has consciously cultivated this woman vote in Bihar.
36:00The BJP, on the other hand, when I look at your Bihar strategy, do you also believe that when it comes to the Mahila voter, Nitish is the one who's the face that you will take to the women of Bihar?
36:174 crore orjula beneficiaries, 3 crore women homeowners, 10 crore women in self-help groups, and 5 lakh free health cover for every mother.
36:25This is what women empowerment looks like.
36:28And we are not the opposition that remembers women only when elections come.
36:31And you said it for yourself.
36:32The entire thing of banning alcohol has actually brought in happiness in women, where they saw their families being destroyed because of the alcohol that was available in Bihar.
36:44And which is why, for 18 years, Mr. Nitish Kumar ji has been elected and re-elected again and again.
36:49And I was listening to the Congress spokesperson here.
36:52She was gloating about the caste survey when Madam forgets that Mr. Rahul Gandhi, the supremo leader, has himself said that the caste survey, that was the entire caste survey that was held in Bihar was a farce.
37:04He does not believe in it.
37:05He said it was completely wrong.
37:06It was nothing wrong.
37:07And today she's gloating about the same caste survey.
37:10Be on one line, whether you are with the caste survey or you're not.
37:12Your leader cannot discredit it and you can come here and gloat about it.
37:17Having said that, there is a very big difference between dynastic charity and democratic change.
37:22Yes, you may parade that you have more women candidates, but BJP is making sure that those women of Bihar are empowered.
37:29They do not have to go ghargarh and depend on their husbands for money.
37:32We are talking about empowering women.
37:34And it's fine, Rajdeep, you can give as many tickets you want to women.
37:37But then when you remain silent, when women in your own party are molested or complain about being harassed by men and the entire Congress goes silent on that.
37:46There have been examples from Priyanka Chaturveti to Ankita Dutta to so many.
37:50You may be giving tickets to as many women as you want, but what do you do about you?
37:54No, sir, let me complete.
37:55You have given me the least amount of time.
37:57All the other spokespers in the first time got over three minutes and I got two.
38:00You can check with your own team over there.
38:03I have checked and cross-checked.
38:05So, please, if you are talking about women empowerment in India, give us equal time on the channel.
38:11Give us equal time on the channel.
38:13And I deserve it.
38:14I also believe...
38:15Radhika Khaira, you are welcome to check the time you got.
38:24I did, sir.
38:24You can check it too.
38:25From 718 to 721, Mr. Jata Paul.
38:28Radhika Khaira, Radhika Khaira, if you spend more time...
38:36Thank you very much.
38:38Radhika Khaira, this is not some debate where you are going to...
38:42Sorry.
38:42Yeah, thank you very much, Radhika Khaira.
38:44The fact is that if panelists stuck to their time, each one would get equal time.
38:50Shouting over each other and trying to say, I got 30 seconds less, 30 seconds more, doesn't really add to the viewer interest or indeed the viewer's knowledge.
38:59But I appreciate my panelists joining us.
39:01What is clear is the woman voter will hold the key, many believe, to who wins Bihar in 2025.
39:09Let's turn to our To The Point news feature for the day.
39:12Remember, Bihar is the land of the migrant.
39:16Lacks of workers from Bihar travel across the country.
39:19But return to Bihar, not just for voting, but also for Chhat Puja.
39:24And this time, Chhat Puja is just before the elections.
39:27The migrant factor and the Chhat Puja factor in this Bihar election.
39:32Take a look at this special report.
39:42They are going home.
40:12To celebrate and to vote.
40:20They are migrant Biharis and most of them are daily wage laborers.
40:25So, unlike a planned trip, their return home from a different state means waiting at overcrowded stations.
40:36Jostling to get into a train and then somehow manage to return home to their loved ones.
40:49Most of them will stay back to participate in the two-faced dance of democracy in Bihar.
41:14Bihar accounts for about 7% of India's total interstate migrants,
41:44with employment being the leading driver.
41:47Unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment have been poll planks for decades now.
41:52This election too has seen both the ruling and the opposition alliances promise jobs and development.
42:14Bihari is returning home this festive season.
42:17Bihari is returning home this festive season, pray that their voices are heard and promises
42:47We are a report, India Today.
42:50We are getting a piece of breaking news.
42:55Akasa Air has admitted that on the 20th of October, in a flight that was going from Delhi
43:01to Bengaluru, a passenger had attempted to physically assault the crew and had to be restrained.
43:08Ruckus on a Bengaluru-Delhi Akasa Air flight.
43:11And what we are getting to understand is there was a ruckus on the flight.
43:16A video has now gone viral.
43:18The Akasa Air has said that all the norms were followed to ensure that none of the passengers
43:25were harmed.
43:26What was the nature of the ruckus is still unclear.
43:29But that's the video that's now come out of what happened on the 20th of October
43:34on a flight between Bengaluru and Delhi of Akasa Air.
43:39A passenger creating a ruckus and turning physical and attempting to assault, including crew members.
43:46We are trying to get more details on that.
43:49But that's the video which has come out just a short while ago, giving a sense of what was happening on the flight.
43:57Clearly unacceptable behavior coming out of the passenger.
44:01But we need to know more details on the context of it.
44:05Amit Bhardwaj, who tracks civil aviation, joins us.
44:08Amit Bhardwaj, can you fill us in with more details on this incident?
44:12Rajiv, this is Akasa Air incident that happened on 20th of October.
44:18Clearly the day of Diwali when many of the people were pranked.
44:21These are respective home destinations.
44:24And this is Bengaluru-Delhi flight QP-1599.
44:28On which this passenger created ruckus from the craft.
44:32After which the crew intervened.
44:34And in the video we can see the aggressive behavior of this particular passenger.
44:39After which the crew had to physically restrain this particular passenger who was carrying out unruly behavior.
44:46Now, confirmation has also come from Akasa Air in this regard.
44:51They have said that there was unruly behavior reported by a passenger on QP-1599 flight.
44:59That is Bengaluru-Delhi flight.
45:01The crew had to follow the set protocols in order to ensure safety and comfort of the other passengers.
45:08And they have said that they had done everything on their part to ensure, you know, the safe safety of each of the passengers who were on board.
45:18So, what we are given to understand, possibly the SOP in regards to any such unruly behavior on the craft was also followed by Akasa Air.
45:28Which means upon landing, the authorities must have been also informed about this particular incident.
45:34Back to you, Rajiv.
45:40Amit Bhardwaj giving us those details.
45:42We will wait and see what the nature of the inquiry is.
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