In what could be a massive boost for the NDA 3.0, Nitish Kumar's JDU has backed 'one nation, one poll' and UCC - agendas that the BJP has been pushing for and wants to implement for years. The JDU, however, wants a review of the Agniveer scheme, which it thinks impacted the elections, India Today reported on Thursday.
The Agnipath Scheme, which was rolled out in June 2022, youth are recruited for four years after which, 25% of them will be retained and the rest will be released - a clause that has upset army aspirants.
The JDU, whose support is critical for the survival of the NDA government, has also said it has no problem with the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but it wants dialogues with all stakeholders.
In the run-up to the campaign, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the UCC would be implemented in the third term of the Modi government.
Last month, former army chief General VK Singh suggested that some changes may be made in the Agnipath scheme once the first batch of recruits completes four years of service. Singh, who served as army chief from March 2010 to May 2012, said the first batch of agniveers has already joined their units.
"From the feedback I have received, especially from the infantry (as our regiment also had many such recruits), the children are very motivated and enthusiastic, and everyone is pleased with them. There's still time before the four-year term is completed, so I believe there will be some changes," he said in a podcast - Top Angle.
The Congress, in its manifesto, promised to scrap the agniveer scheme and return to the older one where soldiers were recruited for 16 years of service. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi claims that the army chiefs did not endorse the new scheme and that it was thrust upon them to cut pension costs.