Maharashtra News: ‘Cracks’ in Mahayuti amid credit war among BJP allies over Ladki Bahin scheme ahead of assembly polls

Fissures have emerged in Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti alliance over claiming credit for the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana,' the flagship scheme of the Eknath Shinde-led government that is expected to help the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance in the upcoming assembly elections.

The differences within the alliance has been simmering for many months. And last week, during a cabinet meeting, a minister from the Shiv Sena (Shinde Sena) objected to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s decision to omit the chief minister's photo from advertisements and promotional material on the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ – the state government’s scheme which provides ₹1500 per month to over one crore women.

Shinde has to intervene to pacify both sides during the meeting, according to reports. The charge is that Pawar, the deputy chief minister, has ‘hijacked’ the state government's scheme.

Credit War over flagship scheme

"The scheme has Chief Minister in its name, and removing it from the scheme is inappropriate. It should not have been done," state Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, who belongs to the Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said on Friday. Desai alleged that by not using the full name of the scheme during his (Pawar's) public outreach programmes was not as per the protocol.

Ajit Pawar launched his party's 'Jan Sanman Yatra', a public outreach programme last month. The narrative of the outreach is focused on the benefits of the financial assistance provided under the ‘Ladki Bahin’ and other schemes. The advertisements and other promotional material used during the campaign, the NCP is seen mentioning the name of the scheme as just 'Majhi Ladki Bahin' instead of the full name, according to a PTI report.

The Ajit Pawar camp has also released two videos in which the beneficiaries were shown thanking Ajit Pawar for the scheme.

Eye on Maharashtra Assembly Polls

Pawar, who is also Maharashtra Finance Minister, announced the scheme in June while presenting the state’s annual Budget. With an estimated 2.5 crore beneficiaries, the state exchequer is set to incur a whopping ₹46,000 crore expenditure on the scheme.

The scheme was was launched soon after the Lok Sabha elections, 2024and in the run up to assembly polls.

Many, including leaders from opposition parties, said that the scheme has been brought to woo voters in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. The tenure of the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly tenure of the current government ends on November 26, 2024 which means a new government has to be sworn in before that.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 30 of the Maharasthra’s 48 seats in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The ruling Mahayuti, a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), bagged just 17 seats.

In 2019, the NDA had won 43 of the 48 seats from Maharashtra while the then UPA had bagged the remaining five seats.

Inspired by MP's Ladli Behna Scheme

The scheme inspired by Madhya Pradesh's successful 'Ladli Behna' scheme that deposits ₹1,250 monthly into the accounts of women, a move introduced by former Chief Minister and now Union Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The scheme has been credited with contributing to the BJP's success in securing all 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh in the general elections 2024.

There have been rift reports within the ruling alliance earlier too. Last month, Shiv Sena minister Tanaji Sawant revealing that he ‘felt like vomiting’ after sitting with fellow NCP lawmakers. The remark prompted a sharp rebuttal with members of the NCP insisting that it was better to quit the alliance than listen to such statements.

(With PTI inputs)