BJP's Maharashtra Election Manifesto Promises Rs 2,100 Under Ladki Bahin Yojana, 1 Lakh Jobs, AI Hub

The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its manifesto for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections released on Sunday, promised to increase the monthly grant under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme to Rs 2,100 per month.

The scheme, launched in August this year, currently provides Rs 1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women in the age bracket of 21-65.

In its poll manifesto, the BJP has stressed that the scheme would continue if the Mahayuti—the ruling coalition comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party—retains power and the monthly aid would also be raised.

The manifesto was launched by BJP veteran and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Mumbai, in presence of party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

This Ladki Bahin scheme aims to improve the socio-economic status of girls, ensure their education, and promote gender equality, Fadnavis said. The welfare measure is also aimed at making them self-reliant, he added.

The manifesto also focussed on employment, with the BJP promising to roll out one lakh government jobs if elected to power.

The party also aims to generate around 25 lakh employment opportunities through a conducive business environment. The goal is to make Maharashtra a $1-trillion economy by 2029, it added.

For farmers, the BJP has promised that if the cultivators are paid less than the minimum support price for their produce, then the government will intervene and pay the difference amount to them. Besides, the manifesto also promises loan waivers for farmers, but details related to its rollout were not shared.

For soybean, which is produced by a significant portion of Maharashtra's farmers, an MSP of Rs 6,000 per quintal will be fixed, the manifesto noted. Furthermore, farmers will also be provided with a rebate on state goods and services tax on purchase of fertilisers, it added.

The financial empowerment of women also remains on the party's agenda, as per the manifesto. The vision is to create "50 lakh lakhpati didis" by 2027, it said.

For the elderly population, the old age pension will be increased from Rs 1,500 at present to Rs 2,100 per month, the BJP said. For education, the party has promised a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 to 10 lakh students if it retains power.

In rural Maharashtra, the state government will aid the construction of 'pakka' houses, it said. Around 45,000 villages will also get farm track roads, it added.

Anganwadi and ASHA workers will be provided insurance coverage, the manifesto further promised.

The use of solar energy will be ramped up in the next five years, which will result in 30% reduction in electricity bills, according to the BJP. Solar energy, along with other renewable forms of energy, will be increasingly used for providing power to households, according to the manifesto.

Artificial intelligence, the rapidly emerging technology, will be leveraged in Maharashtra, the manifesto said. The goal is to make Maharashtra the "capital of fintech and AI", it added.

The party has also promised to carry out a skill census to analyse the skill gaps based on industry needs.

To boost entrepreneurship among the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes, interest free loans of Rs 15 lakh would be provided to entrepreneurs from these communities, as per the manifesto.

"BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ manifesto for Nov. 20 Maharashtra assembly polls reflects aspirations of people of the state," Shah said. The results of the high-stake elections will be out on Nov. 23.