Cash handouts to women have become the latest strategy to attract votes. What began in Madhya Pradesh as Ladli Behna Yojana has spread to Karnataka as Gruha Laxmi, Maharashtra (Ladki Bahin), and Jharkhand ( Maiya Samman), and is now making its way to India's national capital, Delhi.

AAP which is fighting a tough war against anti-incumbency , growing dissatisfaction, poaching of its members, allegations of corruption and an aggressive campaigning by the BJP, has pulled out a trump card- Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana.

Under this scheme, eligible women in Delhi will get Rs 2100 per month in their bank accounts. In this scheme, women will now receive Rs 1,000 every month. Announcing this, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that the proposal was passed in a Cabinet meeting to ensure that Rs 1,000 will be deposited into the bank accounts of every woman in Delhi each month. Kejriwal also promised the women that once the elections are won, the amount of Rs 1,000 will be increased to Rs 2,100 per month.

AAP is contesting the elections on its own strength. It appears that the bonhomie , or the feeling of brotherhood between the two partners of INDIA Bloc- AAP & Congress has been lost, especially after Haryana assembly elections. Thus while the Congress is trying to make a comeback and has also released first list of its candidates, BJP too is trying to wrest control of the Delhi Assembly from AAP.

The party had got a rude shock when BJP made a clean sweep in Lok Sabha elections and won all the 7 seats of Delhi in 2024’s parliamentary elections. Therefore, AAP need to think something which can give it an edge in the assembly election.

Why cash handouts ?

The women centric financial schemes look to be politically expedient. The parties which have implemented such schemes have won the elections in recent past.

As written above, the trend started with Madhya Pradesh BJP government ‘s Ladli Behna Yojana. The scheme led BJP buck anti-incumbency and return to power.

Congress party took a leaf out of the book of the BJP and started Gurha Laxmi Scheme in Karnataka.

Ladli Behna Scheme- Madhya Pradesh

Under the Ladli Behna Yojana, women now receive ₹15,000 annually, which amounts to Rs 1,250 per month. The funds are directly credited to Aadhar-linked bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. The scheme was introduced in June 2023. The then CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had transferred the first instalment into the bank accounts of women in Jabalpur then.

Gruha Lakshmi scheme- Karnataka

Congress party thought of this scheme in Karnataka. This is a program aimed at providing financial assistance to women who are the primary breadwinners in their families. Under this scheme, eligible women receive a monthly payment of Rs 2,000 for one year. Rahul Gandhi inaugurated the scheme in August 2023.

Ladki Bahin Yojana- Maharashtra

The Mahayuti government then led by Eknath Shinde was struggling in a crucial battle , a battle of survival against MVA in Maharashtra and it was election year. To stay ahead and to prove it to the voters that they were better, the scheme of Ladki Bahin was thought.

The Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana began implementation in July 2024. Under this scheme, eligible women in Maharashtra receive ₹1,500 per month, directly deposited into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

The scheme proved to be an effective instrument in the emphatic win of Mahyauti government and many election analysts gave credit to this scheme in the win of BJP led alliance.

Maiya Samman Yojana- Jharkhand

The Maiya Samman Yojana played a significant role in the Jharkhand elections. This scheme provides women with financial assistance of Rs 2,500 every month. In response, the BJP had also promised Rs 2,100 per month under the Gogo Didi Yojana, but the voters voted in favour of JMM’S Maiya Samman Yojana.

Bottom Line

This indicates that all the parties in the country are no longer shying of using such schemes to attract women voters of the country. The schemes are designed under the pretext of making women financially independent to show themselves different from what is called Revdi in Indian Politics. But the truth is that such schemes also call for the consequences of such schemes or financial dole-outs on the exchequer of the states & its effect on inflation in the economy.