Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad and his younger son, leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav came up with New Year resolutions to overthrow chief minister Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and an election manifesto, as Bihar entered the ‘election year’ on Wednesday.

They slammed the present political dispensation in Bihar over its failures and lack of vision, which have impeded the development of the state and asserted that the new government would fulfil the dreams of the people.

Lalu released a video on social media showing two farmers chatting about how the New Year will be good only when the new government comes to power in the state. They discuss their perpetual issues like floods, destruction of crops and selling farm produce at low prices without any steps being taken to resolve them or to provide relief. They also talk about migrating for work.

The video ends with the tagline bearing a photograph of Tejashwi: “Naya sankalp, naya saal – nai sarkar; Kisan-mazdoor ya garibon ke sapne karenge sakaar (New determination, new year – new government; will make the dreams of farmers, labourers and the poor come true).”

It also indicated that the main Opposition party in the state was gearing up for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held around October.

Extending the New Year greetings, Lalu also wished the “destruction of poverty, helplessness, unemployment, socio-economic disparity, and differences between ‘upper and lower castes’. Love and affection may increase, communal harmony may be established.”

Tejashwi wrote a two-page letter to the people of Bihar promising that 2025 will be remembered as a year in which the foundation of change and rebuilding of the state was laid.

The missive resembled an election manifesto in which he asserted that the new government will remove “smart electricity meters”, provide 200 units of free electricity, remove unemployment, provide jobs and check migration with the help of farm-based industries.

“We will provide ₹2500 per month in the bank accounts of mothers and sisters under the Mai-Bahin Maan Yojana. The pension given to persons with disabilities, widows and the elderly will be increased from ₹400 to ₹1500. Corruption in the government offices at police stations and block levels will be uprooted,” Tejashwi said.

The young RJD leader, who was the deputy chief minister in the two Mahagathbandhan governments in Bihar, added that the right to equality and self-respect would be provided to everybody through reservation and the needy among every section of the society would be helped through economic justice.

He asserted that the people from every section of the society in Bihar “have taken a vow to end the political instability running for the past 20 years, economic adversity, unbridled corruption, administrative anarchy and lazy governance, and take the state on a new path of progress.”

“The tired, traditionalist Nitish government has no new vision, blueprint or roadmap of development. It copies our innovative ideas for development and welfare… 2025 will not only be a year of hope, but of ending the problems of the people of Bihar and taking them together on the path of development,” Tejashwi said.

Tejashwi promised “leak-free examinations” in the state and appealed to the people to come together in harmony to lay down the foundation stone of development. He also asserted that the New Year would be good only when the present government is removed.