India
Maharashtra, Jharkhand and now Delhi: Will Arvind Kejriwal’s cash-on-account scheme help AAP score a hat-trick? | India News – Times of India
Soon after the public announcement, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi called it “Kejriwal’s guarantee” and congratulated the city’s residents. “Arvind Kejriwal had promised to give a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000 to every woman in Delhi. Today, the Delhi government has fulfilled this promise. Now Arvind Kejriwal has promised that if his government is formed again, every woman in Delhi will get an honorarium of Rs 1,000. Rs 2100 per month. This is Kejriwal’s guarantee that will surely be fulfilled,” Atishi wrote on X.
With the Assembly elections just a few months away, Kejriwal is going all out for a hat-trick of wins in Delhi. The AAP chief seems to be inspired by the contribution of women-oriented programs to the recent electoral success of the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra and the JMM-Congress government in Jharkhand. Several post-poll analyzes claimed as much female voters played an important role in the victories of the ruling coalitions in the two states.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP launched the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for women in June, after a drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections. The welfare initiative played a key role in recruiting women voters and helped the coalition register a landslide victory over the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi, who failed to capitalize on the Lok Sabha gains.
In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren went to the 2024 polls with Maiya Samman Yojna providing Rs 1,000 monthly support to women aged 18 to 50. The JMM-Congress government launched the scheme in August and ahead of the Assembly elections, Soren promised to increase the benefit to Rs 2,500. Analysts say the plan has helped the JMM gain widespread support from women in the elections.
Kejriwal, who won the last two Assembly elections in Delhi, winning 67 of the 70 seats in 2015 and 62 in 2020, faces a tough challenge this time. The BJP has kept up the pressure on its AAP government and is doing all it can to deny Kejriwal a third consecutive term. Kejriwal, who was arrested in the liquor policy case, is currently out on bail. He gave up the top position and installed Atishi as prime minister, promising to return after Delhiites give him a clean chit in the 2025 parliamentary elections.
The Congress, which has failed to open its accounts in the last two elections, is also gearing up for a stiff challenge against the AAP government. After being snubbed by Kejriwal who said no to the alliance, the grand old party will be waging a solo battle to try and make the Delhi contest a three-way affair.
AAP, which faced allegations of corruption in the liquor policy case that led to the arrest of some of its leaders, is said to be hoping that the cash-in-account program would help the party gain the support of women, including those who may be angry were about the controversy. around the party.
Several ruling parties have used women-targeted cash-in-account schemes to empower women voters and win their political loyalty. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Ladli Behna Yojana for women months ahead of the 2023 state Assembly elections. In Odisha, the BJP promised the Subhadra Yojana before the assembly elections. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka all have schemes that provide financial incentives to women. The electoral success associated with such plans seems to have put the debate around freebies and innovations on the back burner. At least for now.
