In three crucial Assembly elections — Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh — incumbent governments overturned anti-incumbency expectations, riding on a wave of support from women voters. The driving force? Direct cash handout schemes targeting women, introduced or modified just ahead of the polls.
In Maharashtra, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s Ladki Bahin Yojana, a centerpiece of its 10-point manifesto, proved pivotal. Launched in July, the scheme offers ₹1,500 monthly to over 2.3 crore women from families earning less than ₹2.5 lakh annually. Modeled on Madhya Pradesh’s Ladli Behna Yojana, it contributed to a significant increase in women’s voter turnout — from 59.26% in 2019 to 65.21% in 2023. More than 3.06 crore women cast their votes, an increase of 52 lakh compared to the last election.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis credited the scheme for the surge. “The feedback suggests women voters turned out in greater numbers to support us because of Ladki Bahin,” he said.
Critics, however, weren’t convinced. NCP leader Supriya Sule dismissed the initiative as a ploy to “buy votes.” “Women want minimum support prices for their produce, not cash handouts,” she argued.
Jharkhand followed a similar script. Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana — ₹1,000 monthly payments, with a promise to increase to ₹2,500 by December 2024 — helped Soren weather corruption allegations. Women voters outnumbered men in 85% of seats, solidifying his victory.
In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP leaned heavily on its Ladli Behna Yojana, providing ₹1,250 monthly to women and boosting turnout by over two percentage points. The strategy helped Shivraj Singh Chauhan secure a historic win despite anti-incumbency.
The trend isn’t confined to these states. The AAP-led Delhi government and others are rolling out similar welfare schemes targeting women, highlighting their growing clout as a decisive voter bloc.
But concerns about sustainability loom large. As the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) warned in its 2023 report, the government “needs to monitor and manage its debt levels to ensure long-term fiscal stability by adopting remedial measures to rationalize expenditure, explore further sources, expand revenue base, and invest in revenue-generating assets.”