Elections: BJP 'promises' Rs 50,000 cash vouchers to women, then clarifies

Elections updates: In a now-deleted post on 'X', the BJP initially promised the cash vouchers to all eligible women; however, it later clarified that it applied to women in Odisha

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday reiterated the party's promise to provide cash vouchers worth Rs 50,000 in the next two years under the Subhadra Yojana to the eligible women in Odisha. This initiative is aimed at wooing female voters in view of the ongoing Odisha Assembly elections as well as the Lok Sabha Sabha elections.

"Under the leadership of Modi ji, the BJP has decided to provide cash vouchers worth Rs 50,000 for women in Odisha for the next two years under the Subhadra Yojana. This amount is meant for the women, not men…," it quoted BJP President JP Nadda as saying.

Notably, in a now-deleted post on 'X', the party initially promised the vouchers to all eligible women. Soon after, it rectified its mistake to clarify that the scheme was meant for the state of Odisha.

The party had made this announcement earlier in their Odisha poll manifesto, as it aims to oust the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government as well as expand its footprint in the state in view of the Lok Sabha polls.

Parties look to sway women voters

Recognising the key role of women voters in the electoral landscape, all political parties, including the main Opposition Congress, are actively vying for their support. The parties, in their poll manifestos, have prioritised women's empowerment, with promises of various schemes and initiatives.

Congress Lok Sabha and Assembly poll manifesto

Congress, in particular, has proposed the 'Mahalaxmi' scheme in the Lok Sabha election manifesto, pledging Rs 1 lakh in annual compensation to eligible women of "poor families" as part of its broader agenda for gender equality. For Odisha, it has promised 33 per cent reservation in central and state government jobs in the Assembly poll manifesto. Other promises include free education at all levels and financial assistance to needy families for a daughter's marriage, higher pay for all Anganwadi workers, and a Rs 2,000 monthly pension to widows and single women above the age of 60 years.

The BJP's move to provide cash vouchers in Odisha is being seen as a counter to Congress' pan-India Mahalaxmi scheme. Notably, the saffron party's 'Subhadra Yojana' only applies to married women between the ages of 23 and 59.

The BJP, which is eying at least 370 Lok Sabha seats in the elections, is pushing efforts to increase its tally in states such as Odisha and south India, where it had underperformed in the 2019 elections. In Odisha, it won eight out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.