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The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday announced a series of big ticket welfare schemes for women and girls in Uttar Pradesh if voted to power in 2027, including ₹40,000 annually for below poverty line women under Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana (Women’s Honour and Prosperity Scheme), free laptops to female students who clear their intermediate (Class 12) examinations as well as free bus services, metro services for girl students travelling to schools and colleges.
The announcement by Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav and Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav at their first-ever joint press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow on Wednesday comes just days after a strong buzz about the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party planning to go ahead with big cash incentive schemes for women.
If the Samajwadi Party forms the government, it will implement the scheme in a phased manner, Akhilesh Yadav said. Under the proposed ‘Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana’, the amount would increase in future years.
Akhilesh Yadav announces key poll promises
Speaking with an eye on the 2027 assembly elections, the SP president said that the progress of both the country and the state remains incomplete without the active participation of women, whom he described as the “half-population.”
He positioned the scheme as a commitment to the complete freedom and economic empowerment of women, placing their dignity, safety and prosperity at the centre of the SP’s agenda.
Akhilesh Yadav also promised free laptops to female students who clear their Intermediate examinations and said the party would continue its earlier practice of distributing bicycles. He announced plans to reopen 26,000 closed primary schools, improve Anganwadi centres, and provide free bus and metro services for girl students travelling to schools and colleges. Elderly women would travel free on buses if accompanied by a child, or their companions would receive half-price tickets, he added.
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Highlighting the SP’s past record, he referred to the ‘1090’ women’s helpline set up during the party’s earlier tenure and claimed a recent Japanese delegation had been briefed about it. He asserted there would be no compromise on women’s safety under an SP government. He also recalled free ambulance services available during the previous SP rule and criticised the current administration over alleged medical negligence.
He alleged that the state government had introduced free bus services for elderly women only after learning of the SP’s own plans.
Targeting the BJP, Yadav further alleged that “Nari” (women) had become a mere slogan for the party. He questioned the delay in implementing women’s reservation despite the passage of the related bill and demanded its enforcement in the next elections. Citing incidents such as those in Hathras and Kanpur, as well as the case of Khushi Dubey, he claimed that the greatest injustice against daughters was occurring in Uttar Pradesh under the present government.
Uttar Pradesh has around 6.09 crore women voters, according to the latest electoral rolls.
The BJP government has prioritised women-centric programmes through Mission Shakti and related initiatives. In the 2026-27 state budget, approximately ₹18,620 crore was allocated for women and child development schemes, an 11% increase over the previous year.
Key existing schemes include the Nirashrit Mahila Pension Yojana, which currently benefits over 38.5-40 lakh destitute and widow beneficiaries, with a proposed allocation of ₹3,500 crore.
The Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana has reached around 26.8-27 lakh girls with financial support for education and welfare milestones, backed by a ₹400 crore allocation. Over 1.06 crore women have been mobilised into self-help groups under rural livelihood programmes, while schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana have supported tens of lakhs of mothers.
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Dimple says defeating BJP is not difficult
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, who also spoke at the event, said the scheme’s core principle was that true empowerment of women comes not from slogans but from genuine representation and economic self-reliance.
Explaining the name, she noted that “Stree” represents gender across all ages, “Samman” (dignity) is a fundamental right independent of social or economic status, and “Samriddhi” (prosperity) refers to economic strengthening that enables equality within the household. The scheme would be rolled out in phases, with periodic reviews and improvements, using tools such as mobiles, laptops, financial support, education and training.
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Answering a question about the recent student protest at Jantar Mantar, Dimple Yadav said, “I am really thankful to our party president who allowed us to participate in the protests, as many other opposition parties were not ready to join or support the protest.”
“Being a mother myself, I was upset when I saw students being brutally beaten up by the police. This protest gave us strength; the students set an example that anyone can fight this government. The government was so scared that they removed the videos, reels, etc., that were uploaded during the protest. This has sent a message that defeating the BJP is not difficult,” added the Mainpuri MP.
Several other women leaders, including MPs Iqra Hasan Choudhary and Priya Saroj, MLAs Rekha Verma, Naseem Solanki, Geeta Shastri, Maria Ali, Dr Ragini Sonkar and Usha Maurya, former MPs Usha Verma and Kausar Jahan, and women’s wing office-bearers, also shared their views. The programme was conducted by former mayoral candidate Vandana Mishra.
