Shivraj's 'Ladli Behna Yojana' becomes a game-changer for BJP in MP polls

The scheme was an instant hit, and within just a few months, over 1.3 crore women enrolled in the scheme, and the first tranche starting from June 2023

A few days after polling in Madhya Pradesh, incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said cryptically in a public address that the record voting in the state has ensured that ‘ladli bhenas’ have removed all thorns in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) path for another term in the state. 

The bumper results — in which the BJP is poised to win more than 160 seats in the 230-member state Assembly — is being read by political analysts as an endorsement of the flagship scheme. Polling in the state was at an all-time high of 76.22 per cent.

Pollsters data shows that almost 50 per cent of the women voters gave their mandate to the ruling BJP. This is almost 10 percentage points more than the Opposition Congress and six percentage points higher compared to male voters.

Experts said schemes likes these are the main reasons why Chouhan managed to beat anti-incumbency for more than 18 years. 

Launched on March 5, 2023, months ahead of the Karnataka elections, which the ruling BJP lost comprehensively to the Congress, ‘Mukyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana’ promised a handout of Rs 1,000 per month to all eligible women in MP without any counter guarantee. 

The scheme, which is borrowed from several such ongoing initiatives in states, promised to deliver the amount to all women residents of the state aged between 21 and 60 years. The amount is directly deposited into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, subject to certain exclusion criteria, such as family income being less than Rs 250,000 a year, not having a tax-payer or government servant in the family and not getting a similar dole from the government. 

The scheme was an instant hit, and within a few months, over 13 million women enrolled in the first tranche starting June 2023. Massive camps were held across the state to enrol eligible beneficiaries, in which women were employed.

Less paperwork and easy accessibility are among the key features of the scheme.

The Madhya Pradesh government has raised the amount under ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ to Rs 1,250 per month and promised to hike it to up to Rs 3,000 in tranches over a period of time. 

The scheme’s role in bringing back the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh could force the Centre to devise a similar direct benefit transfer (DBT)-based disbursement ahead of the 2024 General Elections just as it has done for PM-KISAN and state top-ups.

POWERING WOMEN

- Rs 1,250 per month: Cash handout to each eligible woman beneficiary under Mukya Mantri Ladli Behna Yojana’ promises (Rs 1,000 till September)

- 13.2 mn: Number of women who have enrolled for the scheme since March 2023

- June 2023: Month of first tranche’s release

- 23-60 years: Age of women eligible for the scheme subject to certain criteria

- Rs 8,000 cr: Initial budget set aside for the scheme