BETTIAH, Nov. 6 -- Mahagathbandhan chief ministerial face Tejashwi Prasad Yadav upped the ante on women's empowerment Wednesday, vowing Rs.30,000 financial aid to poor women if the alliance wins Bihar's assembly polls. This dwarfs NDA's Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana under which around 1.21 crore women were given away Rs.10,000 by Nitish Kumar government. Framed as an inflation shield, the pledge aims to sway women - a key Nitish Kumar vote bank - ahead of Thursday's first-phase voting across 121 seats in 18 districts. The RJD leader's whirlwind campaign spanned Runni Saidpur (Sitamarhi), Bajpatti (Vaishali), Kalyanpur (Samastipur), Harsiddhi (East Champaran) and Narkatiaganj (West Champaran). "Once our government is formed, Tejashwi will work for mothers and sisters by depositing Rs.30,000 on January 14, Makar Sankranti," Yadav said while seeking support for the Mahagathbandhan at Ramnagar, in an effort to attract women voters considered a strong support base of chief minister Nitish Kumar and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). A total of 21 lakh women have received Rs.10,000 each under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiated by chief minister Nitish Kumar early last month. Yadav, however, sought to create a sense of distrust among women voters, alleging that the state government's assistance was not genuine aid. "The Rs.10,000 given by the state government is part of a loan that will be recovered with interest. But the amount promised by Tejashwi Yadav will be genuine support to help mothers and sisters fight inflation," he claimed. Yadav further spoke of providing five lakh jobs to youths, increasing sugarcane prices, granting district status to Bagaha, and establishing a degree college in Ramnagar. Bihar is going to vote today in the first phase of the polls....