The Congress in Maharashtra on Saturday complained to the State Election Commission against a social media post by Bharatiya Janata Party leader and state minister Girish Mahajan announcing the disbursal of funds under the Ladki Bahin scheme ahead of the Makar Sankranti festival, The Times of India reported.
The festival falls on January 14, a day before polling is slated to take place for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai.
The Ladki Bahin scheme, launched in June 2024, provides a monthly transfer of Rs 1,500 to women aged 21 to 65 whose families earn less than Rs 2.5 lakh a year. The scheme is said to have played a significant role in the Mahayuti alliance winning 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly in November.
The coalition comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party faction headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged that Mahajan’s post announcing the release of installments for December and January amounted to an attempt to influence women voters and violated the model code of conduct, The Times of India reported.
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare told the newspaper that the commission would examine the complaint and take action in accordance with the law.
The commission has asked Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal to submit a report on Monday, PTI quoted unidentified sources as saying.
Commenting on the matter, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the Ladki Bahin Yojana is a continuous scheme of the state government and does not fall under the restrictions of the election code of conduct, PTI reported.
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