In Bihar Assembly poll rush, politics of plenty meets fragile finances

A string of welfare schemes and promises tests the state's budget, which is already heavily dependent on central support and spends little as capital outlay. Yash Kumar Singhal explains

As Bihar gears up for an Assembly election, the state’s finances are once again in the headlines to gauge whether the torrent of promises unleashed by rival parties is even fiscally prudent.

 

The elections to the 243-member Assembly are expected to start within a month. The contest pits the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) as main players, against the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the state. Adding another dimension is the newly minted Jan Suraaj, led by political strategist-turned-reformer Prashant Kishor.