 "'Na bijli ayegi na bill': BJP leader mocks ally Nitish Kumar's poll promise")
Uttar Pradesh’s Energy and Urban Development Minister, Arvind Kumar Sharma, took a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday over his recent announcement of free electricity.
Commenting sarcastically on the scheme, the BJP leader said, “Electricity is free in Bihar but it will be free only when it will be supplied... na bijli ayegi na bill ayega... free ho gayi. Hum bijli de rhe hain (we are providing the electricity),” as quoted by PTI.
Bihar approves 125 units of free power
The statement comes a day after the Bihar Cabinet on Friday (July 18) approved a plan to provide 125 units of free electricity each month to domestic consumers across the state, starting August 1.
The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar in Patna. According to a government statement, “The state government will pay additional ₹3,797 crore on electricity consumption to the Bihar State Power Holding Corporation Ltd for the purpose.”
The government -- led by BJP and JD(U) -- also announced that financial support would be given to households for installing 1.1-KW rooftop solar power systems.
Solar energy push over next three years
CM Kumar added that in the next three years, solar power plants will be set up on rooftops or nearby public spaces with the consent of domestic consumers.
“We have also decided that in the next three years, with the consent of all these domestic consumers, solar power plants will be installed on their rooftops or at nearby public places to provide benefits,” the CM said.
For extremely poor households, the state will cover the entire cost of solar panel installations. Other families will receive aid under the Kutir Jyoti scheme. He said this move could help generate up to 10,000 megawatts of solar power within the next three years.
Bihar elections: Pre-poll welfare measures
The announcements are being seen as part of a broader set of welfare schemes in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections later this year.
A day before the electricity announcement, CM Kumar had instructed the Education Department to assess the number of vacant teaching posts and begin preparations for the next Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.
In a post on X, the chief minister said the free electricity plan would benefit nearly 1.67 crore families. “We have been providing electricity to everyone at affordable rates from the very beginning. Now we have decided that from August 1, 2025, that is, from the July bill itself, all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay any money for electricity up to 125 units,” he stated.
Political dynamics after 2024 general elections
It is worth mentioning here that JDU’s support became indispensable for the BJP after the 2024 elections. For the first time since 2014, the BJP did not secure a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha in 2024.
The Janata Dal (United) emerged as the second-largest ally in the NDA, after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Together, the JDU and TDP became crucial for the NDA to maintain a majority in Parliament and for the BJP to form the government.
As a result, Nitish Kumar’s political importance has grown, with his party securing more influence both in cabinet posts and in policymaking.