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Maharashtra Elections 2024: Will The Ladki Bahin Yojana Be A Gamechanger For Mahayuti Or A Failed Poll Plank?

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Maharashtra Elections 2024: Will The Ladki Bahin Yojana Be A Gamechanger For Mahayuti Or A Failed Poll Plank?

With the Maharashtra Assembly elections around the corner, political analysts are closely watching the effects of the ruling alliance’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, seen as a possible game-changer for the Mahayuti government, which includes Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). 

While the scheme is viewed as a strategic move to win over women voters, recent defections from the ruling camp to the opposition suggest the political battle is not yet over and the voters might be signalling towards a change.

Launched by the ruling alliance, the Ladki Bahin Yojana aims to empower girls and women in Maharashtra, addressing a key demographic of voters. Before the scheme was paused due to the model code of conduct, the government had already transferred five instalments of ₹1,500 per month to 2.34 crore applicants. This amounted to a significant outlay of ₹17,174 crore, raising questions about the sustainability of such populist measures and their potential electoral impact in run up to the state elections.

Populist schemes: A proven strategy?

Populist schemes have long played a crucial role in Indian elections, from cash transfers and farm loan waivers to subsidised electricity and women-centric initiatives. In some cases, these schemes have significantly swayed voters, as seen in past elections across the country.

In Delhi in 2020, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a landslide victory by offering free electricity (up to 200 units), free water, bus rides for women, and improvements in government schools. These promises, particularly in education and women’s empowerment, resonated with lower- and middle-income voters, allowing AAP to secure 62 out of 70 seats.

In Telangana in 2018, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) introduced the Rythu Bandhu scheme, which provided direct financial support to farmers. The scheme was credited for the party’s strong showing, winning 88 of 119 seats, and solidified TRS’s base among rural voters.

In Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) promised financial assistance for women, free bus rides for women, and support for farmers and low-income households ahead of the 2021 elections. The DMK won 159 of 234 seats, defeating the ruling AIADMK. The promise of a monthly stipend for homemakers played a key role in mobilising women voters, contributing to the DMK’s success.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government in Madhya Pradesh announced several populist schemes including the Ladli Behna Yojana targeting women aged 23-60 years from low-income families and providing them with Rs 1,250 per month ahead of the 2023 assembly elections. As a result, his government won the state with a thumping majority even after years of anti-incumbency much to the Congress’ disappointment.

Maharashtra’s complex political terrain

Despite the success of populist schemes in other states, Maharashtra presents a unique challenge. Over the past few years, the state’s political landscape has been marked by party splits, shifting alliances, and heightened political rivalries. The battle for power in the upcoming elections is not just about promises and schemes; it’s about the very survival of political entities and their leaders.

Political analysts believe that while the Ladki Bahin Yojana might appeal to women voters, it is difficult to predict whether it will guarantee electoral success in Maharashtra, where the political dynamics are far more fluid and unpredictable.

Lessons from failures of populist schemes

Not all populist schemes have translated into electoral victories. There are instances where parties have failed to win despite offering attractive welfare measures:

In Madhya Pradesh (2023), the Congress promised its Nyay Yojana and farm loan waivers, yet it struggled to win seats. Delayed implementation and doubts about the schemes’ financial sustainability weakened their appeal, and local governance issues seemed to take precedence over populist promises.

In Tamil Nadu (2021), the AIADMK’s wide-ranging populist measures, such as Amma Canteens, free laptops, and financial support for women, failed to prevent the party’s defeat. Voter fatigue after 10 years of AIADMK rule, combined with the DMK’s more attractive welfare promises, played a significant role in the shift.

In West Bengal (2021), the BJP promised cash transfers, free rice, and farmer support under the PM-KISAN scheme, but these promises couldn’t outmatch Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which retained a strong voter base through its established welfare schemes like Kanyashree and Rupashree (for women’s education and marriage).

Why populist schemes sometimes fail

Several factors can undermine the effectiveness of populist schemes:

– Delayed or inconsistent implementation: If schemes are not implemented swiftly or face administrative hurdles, they may fail to gain the expected electoral support. For example, the Congress’s farm loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh was delayed, causing voter scepticism.

– Over-saturation of promises: In states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where intense political competition leads to a flood of promises, voters may become desensitised. The novelty and appeal of populist schemes diminish when both ruling and opposition parties offer similar packages.

– Leadership and governance issues: Strong leadership often outweighs the appeal of populist schemes. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s established leadership and connection with local communities helped her retain power, while in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK struggled with leadership challenges after J. Jayalalithaa’s death.

Political turmoil and defections

Amid the Ladki Bahin Yojana’s potential to boost the ruling coalition’s chances, the exodus of leaders from the Mahayuti government raises concerns about its winnability. Several key leaders from Ajit Pawar’s NCP and BJP factions have defected to Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray’s camps citing dissatisfaction within the ruling alliance. More defections are expected as party members face uncertainty over ticket allocations for the upcoming elections, further complicating the ruling coalition’s prospects.

The Ladki Bahin Yojana might be seen as a masterstroke by the ruling coalition, but the defections and political unrest signal that the race for power in Maharashtra is far from over. Whether or not the scheme will help the Mahayuti government retain power is to be seen when results will be declared on the evening of November 23.

Maharashtra

Municipal Commissioner directed to complete work on Bhandup Water Purification Project to ensure safe water supply to Mumbai

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The state-of-the-art 2,000 million litres per day (MLPD) water treatment plant to be set up at the Bhandup Complex will significantly enhance the efficiency, transparency and resilience of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s water supply system. The project will help Mumbaikars get better quality, safe and sustainable drinking water as per national and international standards. Considering the growing population of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the pace of urbanisation, the growth of the industrial and commercial sector, as well as the increasing demand for water in the future, it is a key infrastructure project for Mumbai’s long-term water security. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has directed that all necessary steps be taken to expedite all civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and process engineering works related to this water treatment project and complete the project ahead of schedule. A state-of-the-art Water Treatment Plant (WTP) with a capacity of 2,000 million litres per day (MLD) is being set up by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Bhandup Complex. The water treatment project is expected to be completed by July 2028. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide visited the site of the water treatment project today (June 17, 2026) and inspected it. He also reviewed the progress.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Project) Abhijit Bangar, Deputy Commissioner (Municipal Commissioner’s Office) Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (Special Engineering) Parshottam Malwade, Deputy Commissioner (Engineering) Shri. Shashank Bhoor, Chief Engineer (Water Supply Project) Chandrakant Choudhary, Chief Engineer (Mumbai Sewerage Project) Ashok Mengade, Chief Engineer (Bridges) Rajesh Mulla along with concerned engineers and officers were present on the occasion. There are two main systems for supplying water to Mumbai. From one of them, through the Tansa-Vitarna system, water from Tansa, Modak Sagar, Madhya Vitrna and Upper Vitrna dams is brought to the Bhandup Complex by gravity through water channels. This water is purified at the water purification centre in the Bhandup Complex. About 2500 million litres of water is supplied to the people of Mumbai daily through water reservoirs located at various locations. The 1910 million litres per day water purification project in the Bhandup Complex was built about 43 years ago. As the project has become structurally weak, a new water treatment project is being set up with a capacity of 2,000 million litres per day (MLD). The new water treatment project will process 2,000 million litres per day (MLD) of water. This water treatment project is crucial to increasing the capacity of the Bhandup Complex, which supplies water to the western and eastern suburbs of Mumbai.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the new water treatment project on 7.4 hectares of land in the Bhandup Complex will replace the existing project, which is the largest in Asia. It will help provide clean water to Mumbai. Its main objective is to meet the growing demand for water and replace the old project, which has reached the end of its life. Currently, soil testing, excavation, site clearance, relocation of power lines, tree planting, etc. are in full swing. Along with the construction works, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation work has also been started in parallel. The project works should be completed expeditiously by making additional manpower and machinery available. Instructions have been given to plan for excavation, radar transportation. Overall, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is committed to bridging the gap between the demand and supply of water for Mumbaikars. Bhandup Sewage Treatment Plant to be functional by October 2026.

The work of the 215 million litres per day (MLD) capacity sewage treatment plant project in Bhandup is in the final stages. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide inspected the work today (June 17, 2026). Bhide directed that the project be fully implemented by October 2026.

In view of environmental protection in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is setting up sewage treatment plants at a total of 7 locations. Under this, the work of Sewage Treatment Plant project is underway in Bhandup. Under this, the construction work of Primary Treatment Unit, Primary Clarifier, Continuous Sequencing Batch Reactor Tank, Air Blower Building and Digesters etc. has been completed. Mrs. Bhide inspected all the works and took detailed information.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the state-of-the-art Sewage Treatment Plant with a capacity of 215 million litres per day in Bhandup will be an important milestone for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

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Maharashtra

Eknath Shinde’s Operation Tiger was successful… Uddhav Thackeray’s rebellion in Shiv Sena UBT, Sanjay Raut is angry

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Mumbai: Operation Tiger has been successful. Shinde Sena has succeeded in forcing 6 MPs of Shiv Sena UBT to form another group, after which the rebellion has started again in UBT. The independent group has also been approved by the Lok Sabha Speaker. Now these 6 MPs can soon merge with Shiv Sena Shinde Party. After Operation Gaigar, Uddhav Thackeray group MP Sanjay Raut addressed a press conference and said that despite what Uddhav Thackeray did not do for these MPs, these people have acted dishonestly. This is dishonest. It is said that the rebel MPs are camped in Delhi and will merge with the Shinde group in the next two days. The operation in the state has been going on for the past several days and in June, a meeting of the India Alliance was also held in Delhi. In this meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah gave the green signal to Operation Tiger. The rebel MPs of the Thackeray group have been accommodated in a five-star hotel in Delhi. On Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray also held a meeting of his MPs in which five MPs attended the online meeting, due to which no one suspected them. This is the second biggest split in the Shiv Sena. After the rebellion of the Shiv Sena MPs, the Shiv Sena has become completely weakened. These rebel MPs include Sanjay Deshmukh, Ayut Mahal, Sanjay Jadhav, Parbhani, Sanjay Dina Patel, Mumbai, Nagesh Patil, Hingoli, Amarraje, Nimbalkar, Dhara Shiv. There is resentment in Shiv Sena after the rebellion of these MPs. Sanjay Raut is angry with them. He says that Uddhav Thackeray did so much for them but these people became dishonest.

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Maharashtra

Muslim students deprived of government schemes… Only Hindu candidates are accepted for drone pilot training scheme: Raees Sheikh

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Mumbai: Raising the issue of Muslim youth and students being deprived of the government’s ‘Amrit’ institute schemes, Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Sheikh has said that applications are being accepted for the drone pilot training programme of the institute run by the state government’s Other Backward Classes Welfare Department, while online applications from Muslim candidates are not being accepted. In his letter to Minister Atal Seo and the Chief Executive Officer of Maharashtra Research, Advancement and Training (AMRUT) Institute, MLA Raees Sheikh said that the Amrit Institute has invited applications till June 30 for drone pilot training which is aimed at candidates from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the open category. “However, when applicants try to fill the online form, they are required to provide information about their religion and caste. The portal offers caste options only for Hindu communities, which prevents Muslim applicants from successfully submitting their applications.” Sheikh said he had received several complaints regarding this issue. Pointing out that the Amrit Institute aims to serve the economically weaker sections in the open category, he said that as an autonomous government institution, the founding government resolution (August 22, 2019) of Amrit does not mention any specific religion. It aims to work for different communities in the open category. Therefore, restricting applications in this manner is against the rules, he claimed. The Maharashtra government has set up several institutions for different social groups, including Barati, Aarti, Sarathi, Mahajyoti, Marti, and Amrit. While each institution may focus on a specific target group, it can be limited to a certain extent. They also provide training opportunities to and benefits to other communities. Sheikh added that unemployment is currently a major concern for youth of all castes and religions across the state. He said, “The Amritsar should not interpret the rules in such a way that Muslim youth are deprived of skilling opportunities. Minister Atul Sivaji, who heads the Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department, should ensure that Muslim youth are not excluded from these training programmes.”

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