Patna: Bihar Cabinet Approves State's First Women's University as RJD Demands Fresh Polls

Bihar's Cabinet has approved the establishment of two new universities, including the state's first dedicated women's institution in Patna, in decisions taken at a September 23 meeting. Meanwhile, opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal has demanded fresh assembly elections, alleging the Election Commission of India is aligned with the ruling BJP and that recent election results in Bihar and West Bengal were manipulated.

🎓 Bihar Cabinet Greenlights Two Universities, Including State's First Women's Institution

The Bihar Cabinet approved the establishment of two new universities on September 23, 2026, in a decision that marks a significant expansion of the state's higher education infrastructure. The Cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and the approvals were made under the Bihar Special University Act, 2026. The most notable of the two institutions is the Mata Sita Women's University, which will be established in Patna. According to reports, this will be Bihar's first dedicated women's university, a milestone for a state that has historically sent large numbers of students to other states for higher education. The Cabinet also sanctioned Rs 15 crore toward salaries and other establishment-related expenses for the Patna institution. A second university was also approved for Begusarai, a city in north Bihar. The decisions represent the state government's stated effort to expand tertiary education access and reduce the migration of students who currently leave Bihar to study elsewhere. The approvals signal continued governmental focus on building educational institutions as part of Bihar's broader development agenda under the current administration. [6]

RJD Alleges Vote Manipulation in Bihar and West Bengal, Demands Fresh Assembly Elections

Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal has issued a sharp challenge to the Bihar state government, demanding fresh assembly elections and alleging that electoral outcomes in both Bihar and West Bengal were fraudulently manipulated. Tejashwi, who serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly, went further by characterizing the Election Commission of India as an extension of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The remarks, reported in the New Indian Express Patna Diary column on September 24, 2026, reflect the deepening political standoff between the RJD and the BJP-led state administration. Tejashwi's allegations strike at the credibility of the election oversight body, a claim that calls into question the legitimacy of the current Bihar assembly's mandate. Demands for fresh elections represent one of the most confrontational postures an opposition party can adopt, effectively challenging a sitting government's democratic mandate. The RJD has maintained consistent criticism of the state's election management following the recent polls, and this latest demand escalates those grievances into a formal call for a re-run of the entire electoral exercise in Bihar. [2]

Sources: [6] EdexLive · [2] newindianexpress.com