MVA promises ₹3,000 per month to women

The MVA also promised to conduct a caste census in the State if elected to power, and remove the 50% cap on reservations if elected to power at the Centre

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday announced five guarantees, two among them pertaining to welfare schemes benefiting women, weeks ahead of polling for the Maharashtra Assembly polls. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) promised a monthly cash benefit of ₹3,000 and free bus service to women under the Mahalakshmi Yojana.

Addressing the MVA rally in Mumbai, Mr. Gandhi also promised a loan waiver of up to ₹3 lakh to farmers in addition to an incentive of ₹50,000 on loan repayment. The alliance also promised health insurance up to ₹25 lakh and free medicines. Mr. Gandhi guaranteed monthly unemployment wages amounting to ₹4,000 for jobless youth, a caste census in the State and removing the 50% ceiling on reservation.

Also Read: Maharashtra CM lists ten promises in first Mahayuti poll rally at Kolhapur

Currently, the ruling Mahayuti gives ₹1,500 per month to eligible women under its flagship ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme and has promised to increase the amount to ₹2,100 if it retained power.

Mr. Gandhi also made a promise to conduct a caste census in Maharashtra if elected to power at the Centre and remove 50% cap on reservations. “The current politics in India is based on creating hatred among people based on the ideologies of RSS and BJP. The Mahayuti has only harmed the development of the State, created unemployment. India has the largest number of unemployment right now. It is all because of the Prime Minister and BJP’s policies that has destroyed the small and micro scale businesses. [Businessman] Gautam Adani can snatch Dharavi’s land but cannot create employment. Demonetisation and inflation are not policies but weapons by the BJP. This is a fight for ideologies,” he said.

NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, president of Indian National Congress Mallikarjun Kharge, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole, Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad, Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut were among other party functionaries of the alliance partners who were present at the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Gandhi was in Nagpur where he campaigned carrying a slim copy of the Indian Constitution book encased with a red cover. The public rally took place at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan convention in Nagpur.

To this, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a jibe at Mr. Gandhi at a campaign rally in Sangli and said: “What message Rahul Gandhi wanted to give by showing a red copy of the Constitution of India? He is building a coalition of anarchists.”

Mr. Patole responded to Mr. Fadnavis’s comment and said, “Mr. Fadnavis, in his nervousness, is making false allegations to defame Rahul Gandhi. In Hinduism, red is considered auspicious, yet the BJP finds it impure. Those who oppose the Constitution have no right to decide whether a copy of the Constitution should be red, yellow or black. Do the BJP and Fadnavis equate saving the Constitution with urban Naxalism?”

“If the BJP considers left-leaning individuals anti-national, then Kerala has a Leftist government, West Bengal was ruled by the Left for years, and there are still Leftist legislators and Members of Parliament. Does that make those who vote for them anti-national? If the BJP feels so, Mr. Fadnavis should take action as they (BJP) are in power at the Centre. Who gave the BJP the authority to issue certificates of patriotism or anti-nationalism?,” Mr. Patole said at the Mumbai rally.

Shiv Sena(UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said the grand alliance will ensure that the prices of essential commodities such as edible oil, sugar, rice, wheat, daal will remain stable under the MVA government.

Published - November 06, 2024 10:18 pm IST