Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is betting big on his schemes for women.
After the Congress's decisive win in Karnataka, propelled by its promise of a Rs 2,000 allowance to every woman in the state, both the BJP and Congress have been chalking out plans to woo women voters of poll-bound states. The exercise has already started with Madhya Pradesh, where elections are due in November.
On Saturday, as part of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's flagship "Ladli Behna Yojana", nearly 1.25 crore women in the state will receive Rs 1,000 in their bank accounts under the much-hyped scheme. Mr Chouhan has said that this move is likely to become the fulcrum of his party's campaign in the coming months. Mr Chouhan, leading the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, will not just have to face two decades of anti-incumbency, but also an aggressive Congress. That's why he has also been repackaging many of his welfare schemes.
Soon after his announcement, within two days, on Sunday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is likely to address a rally in Jabalpur and officially announce the party's promise to give every woman in the state Rs 1,500 a month if it comes to power. Ms Gandhi is likely to participate in a Narmada poojan at the Gauri ghat and also address a rally.
Female voters are significant in Madhya Pradesh, as they comprise 48.20 per cent of the state's 5.39 crore electorate. More than 7 lakh of the 15 lakh new voters are women. According to Election Commission data, the voting percentage of women in the state has been on the rise since the last two elections, and women actually outnumber male voters in at least 50 seats, including 18 of the 230 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe communities.
It is in these seats, including Dindori, Bichiya, Niwas, Mandla, Baihar, Paraswada, Balaghat, Waraseoni, Barghat, Pansemal, Alirajpur, Jobat, Jhabua, Thandla, Petlawad, Sardarpur, Kukshi, and Sailana, that the BJP had lost last time.
During the last assembly elections in 2018, the participation of women voters rose by 3.75 per cent. In several constituencies, the rise in the percentage of female voters was around 8 to 10 per cent. At that time, the state saw a close fight between the Congress and the BJP, with the Congress winning 114 seats in the 230-member house, and the BJP getting around 109 seats.
Women in Focus
While announcing the Ladli Behna scheme in March in Bhopal, Mr Chouhan said even his own bureaucrats were warning him against it, saying it would have an impact on the state's treasury. "But it is my life's goal to make your lives better, and I will do it at any cost. The acceptance letter will come to you before the money. If you get Rs 1,000 a month, it will help you in many ways. Even if it is more than Rs 12,000 crore, this brother of yours will not hesitate," the Chief Minister had said.
The scheme will cover all women from all sections of society who do not pay income tax or own over five acres of agricultural land, own a tractor and are not beneficiaries of other government schemes that give the woman Rs 1,000. State government officials said that the process of applications started on March 25, and about 1.25 crore applications have been received so far. "The process of application has been kept very simple. The applicant has to submit their Samagra ID, basically showing her as the resident ID of Madhya Pradesh state. No additional documents or certificates are being sought," the official added. Officials said this will lead to an improvement in the BMI and overall health of women, increased participation of women in the labour force, greater financial independence of women, improved decision-making role within the family, and will also result in increased financial inclusion.
BJP leader P Muralidhar Rao said the party and the state government's efforts to reach out to women and improve their lives will be a game-changer this election and will also help the party win seats it lost in 2018.
Apart from Ladli Behna Yojana, officials said the Madhya Pradesh government has allotted over Rs 900 crore for the girl marriage scheme Ladli Laxmi Yojana. Women in Madhya Pradesh, like in some other states, have 30 per cent reservation in police recruitment and 33 per cent in other government jobs. Mr Chouhan had sent five lakh letters to women across the state on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. In these letters, he talked about all the government's pro-women schemes and sought five more years from "his sisters" to make the state prosperous. The gender budget too saw a ten per cent hike in 2022-2023 with around Rs 85,000 crore dedicated to women's welfare, officials said, adding that the state has been running nearly 350 pro-women schemes, including seven days of additional casual leave for women employees, skills training, and job fairs exclusively for women.
However, amid the competition between the parties to lure women voters, experts have said that delivery is what counts. Nishi Dutta, a Bhopal-based social scientist, said that with a large number of poor households still dependent on free ration, it was opportunities and social empowerment that was necessary, not just "last-minute delivery."
Congress leader Kamal Nath had said that the BJP's promises were hollow and that the Congress will pay women Rs 1,500 instead of Rs 1,000 per month. "We are going to slash the price of the cooking cylinder to Rs 500," he said.