Maharashtra's Ladli Behan Yojana Sparks Political Enthusiasm Ahead of State Elections

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale praised Maharashtra's Ladli Behan Yojana for boosting female enthusiasm, foreseeing the Mahayuti alliance's victory in the upcoming assembly elections. Maharashtra polls are slated for November, with political alliances and seat sharing under scrutiny amid the approaching contest.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale commended the Maharashtra government's Ladli Behan Yojana on Monday, pointing out the enthusiasm it has sparked among women and indicating the public's inclination to re-elect the Mahayuti government. The alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party, aims for a decisive victory in the state assembly.

Athawale expressed confidence in the Mahayuti alliance's potential to secure at least 270 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly in the elections scheduled for November. The Ladli Behan Yojana, launched in 2024, offers Rs 1500 per month to women aged 21-65 with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar criticized the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance over its seat-sharing disagreements. Narwekar argued that MVA, consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Nationalist Congress Party (SCP), lacks ideological coherence and is driven by mutual self-interest, predicting instability.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections, set for November 20 with results expected on November 23, see parties gearing up to replicate or improve their past performances. In 2019, BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, and Congress 44, while in 2014, BJP secured 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.

(With inputs from agencies.)