With an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections following their recent setback in the Lok Sabha polls, Maharashtra ruling alliance unveiled a series of populist measures on Friday aimed at winning the support of women, unemployed youth, farmers, and the poor.
In the Budget presented by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, the government announced the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme, which will transfer Rs 1,500 monthly to eligible women aged 21 to 60 starting July 1. Additionally, under the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana, families will receive three free LPG cylinders annually, benefiting over 52 lakh households across the state.
Addressing the issue of unemployment, the government introduced the CM Yuva Karya Prashikshan Scheme, which will provide a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 to 10 lakh interns. Furthermore, more than 46 lakh farmers will benefit from a waiver on agricultural pump electricity bills.
In a move to alleviate fuel costs, the government announced a reduction in fuel prices for Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai, cutting petrol prices by 65 paise per litre and diesel prices by Rs 2.07 per litre.
The financial implications of these initiatives are significant. The Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme will cost the government Rs 46,000 crore, while the CM Yuva Karya Prashikshan Scheme has been allocated Rs 10,000 crore. The electricity bill waiver scheme will require Rs 14,761 crore, and the Annapurna Yojana is set to benefit over 52 lakh families statewide.
Additionally, the state government announced a Rs 20,000 grant for each Dindi, a procession of devotees of Lord Vitthal, participating in the Pandharpur Ashadhi Ekadashi Vari pilgrimage. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made this announcement earlier in the day, and it was included in the state budget.
These announcements come just three weeks after the Lok Sabha election results, where the ruling alliance experienced a significant drop in its representation. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw its number of Lok Sabha MPs from Maharashtra decrease from 23 in 2019 to 9 in 2024, and the alliance’s overall numbers fell from 42 in 2019 to 17 this year.