Ladki Bahin payout on civic poll eve sparks political storm in Maharashtra

NAGPUR: With the Maharashtra govt set to credit payments under the Mukhyamantri-Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana barely 24 hours before civic elections, the flagship welfare scheme has become a flashpoint between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Congress.Revenue minister and Nagpur district guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday launched a sharp counterattack, dismissing Congress's objections as political opportunism and asserting that women beneficiaries cannot be held hostage to election schedules. Addressing a press conference during the release of the Nagpur city BJP manifesto, Bawankule said the Ladki Bahin scheme has "nothing to do with municipal elections" and predates the announcement of civic polls. "This is an ongoing welfare programme of the state govt. For polls in 29 civic bodies, women across the entire state cannot be deprived of their rightful benefits," he said, adding any attempt to stall payments would amount to discrimination against women.The controversy erupted after Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) approached the State Election Commission (SEC), objecting to the govt's decision to credit 2 months' instalments — December 2025 and January 2026 — totalling Rs3,000 to beneficiaries' accounts on January 14, the day of Makar Sankranti and the eve of municipal corporation polls. The Congress alleged that releasing the amount just a day before voting violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and could influence over one crore women voters.In its formal letter to the SEC, the MPCC termed the proposed disbursement a "collective govt bribe" and urged the commission to direct the govt to release the funds only after polling concludes. The party clarified that it does not oppose the Ladki Bahin scheme itself, but objected to its timing amid elections.Bawankule, however, accused the Congress of hypocrisy and obstructionism. "When this govt launched the scheme, Congress tried everything to stop it. Even former MPCC president Nana Patole attempted to derail the scheme by encouraging a petition in the high court," he alleged. According to Bawankule, Congress has a consistent record of opposing welfare initiatives instead of contributing constructively. "They never support public-oriented schemes. Their only agenda is to block anything that benefits people, especially women," he said.The minister maintained that the 2-month instalment is already due, and delaying it would unfairly impact economically vulnerable women. "With nearly 2.5 crore beneficiaries across Maharashtra, stopping payments because of elections would cause real hardship. Welfare cannot be switched on and off for political convenience," he said.As the SEC examines the Congress complaint, the Ladki Bahin scheme emerged as a central theme in the high-stakes civic poll battle. With benefits scheduled to be credited just 24 hours before voting, the issue sharpened the confrontation between the ruling alliance and the opposition, adding a potent welfare-versus-code-of-conduct narrative to an already charged municipal election campaign.Nagpur BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari also attacked the Congress for demanding halt to the Ladki Bahin payout, calling it yet another exposure of the party's "anti-women mindset". He alleged that Congress is conspiring to deprive poor women of their rightful financial support ahead of Makar Sankranti, despite welfare schemes being continuous and unaffected by the Model Code of Conduct. Pointing out that other schemes like Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar, Shravanbal and disability assistance are being disbursed without interruption, Tiwari questioned why only Ladki Bahin was being targeted. He also recalled that Congress leaders and their close aides earlier failed in court to stall the scheme, accusing the party of repeatedly trying to block women-centric welfare and displaying open hostility towards financial empowerment of poor women.