India
oi-Prakash KL
As
Maharashtra
gears
up
for
its
upcoming
Assembly
elections,
the
ruling
Mahayuti
government
has
rolled
out
a
series
of
populist
schemes,
hoping
to
sway
voters
amid
rising
public
discontent.
Among
the
key
measures
is
the
Mukhya
Mantri
Majhi
Ladki
Bahin
Yojana
(MMLBY),
a
Rs
1,500
monthly
stipend
for
underprivileged
women,
designed
to
appeal
to
a
crucial
voter
demographic.
The
scheme
is
part
of
a
broader
array
of
pre-election
sops
aimed
at
various
sections
of
society,
with
the
Mahayuti
government
banking
on
these
freebies
to
boost
its
chances
of
retaining
power.
Launched
in
August,
the
MMLBY
scheme
targets
married,
divorced,
and
destitute
women
between
the
ages
of
21
and
65,
offering
them
₹1,500
per
month.
The
program,
with
an
estimated
annual
cost
of
Rs
46,000
crore,
is
one
of
the
most
ambitious
welfare
initiatives
in
Maharashtra’s
history.
The
scheme
is
modeled
after
the
success
of
the
Ladli
Behna
Yojana
in
Madhya
Pradesh,
which
played
a
key
role
in
influencing
female
voters
in
that
state.
By
the
time
the
elections
take
place,
beneficiaries
of
the
MMLBY
scheme
will
have
received
five
instalments,
amounting
to
significant
financial
aid
for
over
10
million
women.
In
mid-August,
the
first
instalment-covering
Rs
3,000
for
two
months-was
disbursed
at
a
cost
of
over
Rs
3,000
crore,
and
the
response
has
reportedly
been
positive,
with
many
women
expressing
gratitude
for
the
direct
financial
support.
The
Mahayuti
government
is
also
offering
three
free
LPG
cylinders
per
year
to
women,
and
has
announced
free
electricity
for
farmers,
aiming
to
address
farmer
distress
over
falling
crop
prices
and
agricultural
concerns.
The
move
comes
after
a
poor
performance
in
last
year’s
Lok
Sabha
elections,
where
issues
like
a
crash
in
soybean
prices
and
an
onion
export
ban
cost
the
ruling
coalition
support
in
regions
like
Vidarbha,
Marathwada,
and
Nashik.
In
response,
the
Centre
recently
lifted
the
export
ban
and
announced
procurement
of
soybeans
at
the
minimum
support
price,
hoping
to
pacify
the
state’s
large
farming
community.
However,
challenges
remain.
Despite
these
sweeping
welfare
measures,
the
Maratha
community,
a
key
voter
bloc,
remains
upset
over
their
exclusion
from
the
OBC
reservation
list.
Maratha
leader
Manoj
Jarange
Patil
has
publicly
urged
the
community
to
reject
the
BJP
and
its
allies,
accusing
the
ruling
coalition
of
“humiliating” the
Marathas.
Additionally,
widespread
concerns
about
unemployment,
rising
inflation,
and
lingering
farmer
distress
loom
large
as
voters
prepare
to
cast
their
ballots.
The
Election
Commission
of
India
has
scheduled
the
Maharashtra
Assembly
elections
for
November
20,
with
results
to
be
announced
on
November
23.
As
the
Mahayuti
government
banks
on
its
welfare
schemes
to
sway
voters,
the
question
remains
whether
these
promises
will
be
enough
to
offset
rising
frustrations
across
the
state.
