Maharashtra election results: How Ladki Bahin scheme proved to be game-changer for BJP

The Shinde-led Mahayuti government rolled out the Ladki Bahin Yojana after its dismal show in the Lok Sabha elections. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance appears set to sweep the Maharashtra assembly elections with leads in 218 of 288 seats, as per the latest figures by the Election Commission. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was hoping to return to power in the state, has managed to take lead in just 50 seats. The majority mark in the state is 145.

As per latest ECI figures, in the Mahayuti, BJP candidates are leading in 126 seats, Shiv Sena in 54 and NCP in 38 seats. In the MVA, NCP (SP) candidates are leading in 13 seats, Congress in 19 and Shiv Sena (UBT) in 19 seats.

Hailing the performance of the ruling Mahayuti in the assembly elections, Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on November 23 credited it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the latter's 'Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai' slogan. But, as per reports the BJP-led Mahayuti's flagship scheme 'Ladki Bahin' proved immensely beneficial for the alliance.

The pull factor

Under the flagship Ladki Bahin scheme, the Mahayuti targeted women between the ages of 21 to 65 years with an annual family income of less that Rs 2.5 lakh. The ruling party is currently providing Rs 1,500/month to the target group. The figure, Mahayuti announced during the election campaign, will be raised to Rs 2,100/month if it retains power.

As part of its manifesto, the Mahayuti alliance had announced 10 promises including the Ladki Bahin scheme. The ruling alliance highlighted its flagship scheme for women in the run-up to the November 20 state polls. Most exit polls, including Axis My India and Chanakya Strategies, that predicted a return of the BJP-led Mahayuti government credited the government's pro-poor and women schemes such as 'Ladki Bahin'.

The ambitious scheme was inspired by Madhya Pradesh's 'Ladli Behna Yojana', which offers Rs 1,500/month to married, divorced as well as destitute women aged 21-60, with a family income cap of Rs 2.5 lakh per year. The Ladli Behna Yojana was an instant hit in Madhya Pradesh and helped BJP script history in the state.

Ladki Bahin & women voters: The connect

According to the Election Commission, Maharashtra witnessed a surge in women voters this election and Ladki Bahin had a huge role to play. The women voter turnout has risen from 59.26% in the 2019 elections to 65.21% this election - an increase of 5.95 percentage points. On November 20 when Maharashtra went to polls, 3,06,49,318 women casted vote as compared to 2,53,90,647 women who turned up in 2019. There has been an increase of 52,58,671 women voters and this has been attributed to the Mahayuti government's Ladki Bahin scheme launched in July.

The Shinde-led Mahayuti government rolled out the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana along with a few more welfare measures after its dismal show in the Lok Sabha elections. "Over 2.3 crore women have benefited from the scheme with many receiving up to Rs 7,500," a government official said.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who is leading from Nagpur South West seat by a margin of over 19,000 seats as per the latest EC data, also credited the scheme for the rise in women voters.

"In Maharashtra, the number of voters is increasing. Whenever voter turnout rises, the BJP and its allies benefit. Initial feedback suggests that voter turnout, especially among women, has increased. This is a positive sign for the formation of a new government in Maharashtra. We also received information that the percentage of women voting for us has increased due to the Ladki Bahin scheme," he said on the eve of election results.

Opposition attack

Several MVA leaders have been critical of the Ladki Bahin scheme as they have accused the state government of trying to buy votes and questioned the paltry allocation of Rs 1,500/month. "Women in Maharashtra want minimum support price for their produce, not such a scheme. The government should instead address the real issues on the ground," NCP leader Supriya Sule said.