Bihar CM Nitish Kumar launches 'Mahila Samvad' campaign targeting women empowerment ahead of Assembly elections

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While the government maintains that the programme is part of routine grassroots engagements, the Mahila Samvad or Women's Dialogue campaign's timing and format, focussing solely on women, suggest a calibrated attempt to consolidate the female voter base, which played a significant role in Kumar's previous electoral victories.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accompanied by Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, flagged off the 'Mahila samvad' campaign on Friday, April 18, aiming for women empowerment ahead of the Assembly polls. The campaign is a state-wide outreach programme that aims to engaging with over two crore women across 70,000 locations in Bihar. The campaign, which will run for about two months, is being seen as a significant pre-election initiative by the state government in the lead-up to the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025.

#WATCH | Patna | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar along with Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary flags off 'Mahila Samvad' campaign targeted at empowerment of women in the state pic.twitter.com/KSdZINJ7pA — ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2025 The programme was launched from the CM's residence, with 50 specially designed vehicles dispatched on the inaugural day, reported ANI.



A total of 600 'Mahila Samvad raths' will eventually cover all the 38 disctricts and 48,000 villages of Bihar. “Through this campaign, around 70,000 dialogues will be held, directly connecting us with two crore women. Under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar and with guidance from PM Modi, the government is committed to empowering women and resolving their issues," Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary told ANI.

The Nitish Kumar-led government intends to woo women voters ahead of the Bihar polls. Special provisions for women were announced in the Bihar Budget 2025 as well. "It is extremely important for women to be empowered so that nothing can hinder their path to progress.

In this context, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar is initiating the ‘Mahila Samvad’ program,” Shravan Kumar, Minister of Bihar's Rural Development Department had said on April 15. #WATCH Patna: On Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's ‘Mahila Samvad Rath' Program, Dy CM Samrat Choudhary says, "Around 600 chariots, more than 70,000 'dola' will communicate directly with more than two crore women..

. CM Nitish Kumar and PM Modi's government is constantly working for..

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com/GiA6kEzvJV — ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2025 Strategic push ahead of polls While the government maintains that the programme is part of routine grassroots engagements, the Mahila Samvad or Women's Dialogue campaign's timing and format, focussing solely on women, suggest a calibrated attempt to consolidate the female voter base, which played a significant role in Kumar's previous electoral victories. As per Election Commission data, women voter turnout in Bihar has consistently outpaced men in the last three assembly elections. In the 2020 Bihar assembly polls, women's turnout stood at over 59.

7% in comparison to 54.7% for men, a margin that proved decisive in several constituencies..