'Give Rs 10,000 to women if you...': Sanjay Raut reacts to Maharashtra's 'Ladla Bhai Yojna'

A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a financial assistance scheme for youth, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said this was done keeping upcoming assembly elections in mind. Assembly elections in Maharashtra are slated to be held in October-November. 

On Wednesday, the chief minister announced 'Ladla Bhai Yojna' for the youth of the state. Under the scheme, the 12th pass will get Rs 6,000 per month, diploma holders Rs 8,000 per month, and those with graduate degrees will get Rs 10,000. This came weeks after Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar rolled out 'Ladli Behna Yojna', under which women will be given Rs 1,500 per month. 

Sanjay Raut said these schemes - Ladla Bhai, Ladli Behna - are for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections. He claimed there was no money in the state government treasury and there was a debt of Rs 8 lakh crores on the Maharashtra government. "After losing the Lok Sabha elections, the group of Shinde, Fadnavis, and Pawar are remembering Ladli Behen and Ladla Bhai. Ladli Behen needs it the most as she has to run the house...she should be given Rs. 10,000 per month."

The ruling Mahayuti suffered a major blow in the recent Lok Sabha elections in which the NDA could get just 17 of 48 seats. The Maha Vikas Agadhi - comprising Congres, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar's NCP - bagged 31 seats, with Congress winning the highest 13 seats. 

While the MVA is confident of wresting power back, the Mahayuti is doing all it can to retain power in Maharashtra. 

Interestingly, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray earlier backed the government's decision to implement a "Ladli Behna" like scheme in the state and demanded a similar policy for men as well. "As the government plans to introduce various welfare schemes, one of which is the Ladli Behna scheme like in Madhya Pradesh, I welcome it and ask that this scheme be extended to boys too. Why discriminate? Both girls and boys should benefit from this," Thackeray said last month.