Nitish Kumar’s Free Electricity Move Sparks Timing, Motive Questions

In a move that is being widely seen as politically strategic, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that all domestic consumers in the state would receive up to 125 units of electricity free of cost each month starting August 1, 2025. While the scheme could benefit 1.67 crore households, critics argue the timing, just months before the assembly elections, raises serious questions about intent and long-term sustainability.

Kumar made the announcement on social media platform ‘X’, presenting it as a progressive welfare initiative. He also unveiled an ambitious plan to install rooftop solar plants for households over the next three years, with the poorest to receive full government funding. The target, he claimed, is to generate 10,000 megawatts of solar power statewide.

While the promise of free electricity may offer short-term relief to families, there is little clarity on the financial burden this will impose on the already resource-strained state. Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Samrat Choudhary is expected to release funding details later, but as of now, there’s no roadmap explaining how the scheme will be financed or how infrastructure challenges will be addressed.

Political observers note the move mirrors promises made earlier by opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who pledged 200 units of free electricity in 2024. RJD has claimed the announcement is a direct response to its pressure and populist pledges. Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav accused Kumar of appropriating opposition policies for electoral gain, citing earlier government mimicry of RJD’s pension promises.

This isn’t the first such announcement by the Chief Minister in recent weeks. Promises of one crore jobs, increased pensions, and massive teacher recruitment drives have all come in rapid succession, fueling concerns that the government is engaging in election-time populism rather than structured policy planning.

With Bihar’s fiscal capacity under scrutiny and implementation bottlenecks in past welfare schemes, experts warn that ambitious declarations without administrative groundwork could lead to public disillusionment. For now, the electorate is left to weigh whether these announcements are acts of vision or desperation

By Line: Amit Kumar