BHAGALPUR, BIHAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Bhagalpur today, where he will release the 19th instalment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi scheme. This scheme provides financial support to farmers, and the government says it is focused on their welfare and prosperity.
PM Modi will also address a public rally at Airport Ground, ahead of the 2025 Bihar elections. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will join him, and around 5 lakh farmers are expected to attend the event.
Apart from distributing PM-KISAN funds, senior NDA leaders will also be present. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain mentioned that people from 13 districts, including Bhagalpur, Munger, and Begusarai, will be at the rally.
The BJP is confident about winning over 200 seats in Bihar’s upcoming elections, highlighting the strong NDA alliance and governance under PM Modi and Nitish Kumar. "Just like in Delhi, we will win Bihar too," Hussain said.
Opposition Criticizes PM's Visit
Meanwhile, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized PM Modi’s visit, calling it an election strategy. Bihar’s assembly elections are due in November-December 2024, and Yadav accused the BJP of visiting Bihar only during elections.
He also questioned why Patna University was not given Central University status despite the BJP being in power for 11 years. "If they couldn’t do this in 11 years, what more can we expect?" Yadav said.
RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also dismissed the BJP’s chances in Bihar. He said the Delhi election results won’t affect Bihar and claimed that people have now "understood the BJP's politics."
The Bihar Assembly Election for all 243 seats is scheduled for October or November 2024, while the last elections took place in 2020.
PM-KISAN: Helping Farmers with Financial Support
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme started on February 2, 2019, to give financial help to small and marginal farmers in India. Through this scheme, eligible farmers get Rs 6,000 per year, which is paid in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 every four months. The money is directly sent to farmers' bank accounts using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, making the process easy and transparent.