Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will embark on a yatra to gauge the mood of the people, especially the women, ahead of next year’s Assembly election.

The Mahila Samvad Yatra will focus on dialogue with women, especially Jeevika Didis (women belonging to the self-help groups under the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Projects) and Anganwadi sevikas or workers.

The rural development department will organise the tour and the state cabinet has earmarked ₹226 crore for it. This will be Kumar’s 15th yatra since he first became Bihar chief minister in 2005.

Rural development minister Sharwan Kumar said: “Though the dates and itinerary of the tour have not been finalised, there is a strong possibility that it will begin in December after the forthcoming winter session of the state legislature scheduled from November 25 to 29 gets over.”

Sources in the Janata Dal United (JDU) said that women, who constitute 48 per cent of the voters in the state, have emerged as his biggest supporters because of his proactive welfare works for them. Nitish has focused on making education easier for girls by helping them with bicycles, dresses, scholarships and other facilities.

“The reservation for women in the local self-governance bodies and government jobs, the Jeevika project to provide employment opportunities to women living in the rural areas, and other similar schemes made the chief minister very popular among them. He will meet and talk to them about their existing issues and wishes during the tour,” a senior JDU leader and Bihar minister said.

Sources said that Kumar will also take stock of liquor prohibition at the grassroots and ask women about it. The liquor ban that was implemented in Bihar in April 2016 has practically failed due to a thriving nexus of mafia. The state has been scarred with numerous hooch tragedies since then.