A major political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra over the timing of financial transfers under a key state welfare scheme, just one day before crucial municipal corporation elections. The ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Congress are locked in a fierce battle over the Mukhyamantri-Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, with the government set to credit payments to beneficiaries on January 14.
Congress Cries Foul, Approaches Election Commission
The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has formally objected to the state government's decision to credit two months' instalments—for December 2025 and January 2026—totalling Rs 3,000 to women's accounts. The payment date, January 14, coincides with the Makar Sankranti festival and is the eve of voting for civic body polls. The Congress has approached the State Election Commission (SEC), alleging that this move violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and could influence over one crore women voters across the state.
In its complaint, the MPCC termed the planned disbursement a "collective government bribe" and urged the SEC to direct the government to release the funds only after polling concludes. The party clarified that its objection is not to the scheme itself, but specifically to its timing amidst the election process.
Minister Bawankule's Sharp Counterattack
Revenue Minister and Nagpur District Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule launched a strong defence of the government's action. Addressing a press conference during the release of the Nagpur city BJP manifesto, he dismissed the Congress's objections as political opportunism. He asserted that the welfare scheme predates the announcement of civic polls and is an ongoing program.
"This is an ongoing welfare programme of the state govt. For polls in 29 civic bodies, women across the entire state cannot be deprived of their rightful benefits," Bawankule stated. He argued that delaying the already due instalment would unfairly impact economically vulnerable women and that welfare cannot be switched on and off for political convenience.
Hypocrisy and a History of Opposition Alleged
The minister accused the Congress of consistently trying to obstruct welfare initiatives. He alleged that when the scheme was launched, Congress tried to stop it, and even former MPCC president Nana Patole attempted to derail it by encouraging a petition in the high court. "They never support public-oriented schemes. Their only agenda is to block anything that benefits people, especially women," Bawankule claimed.
Echoing these sentiments, Nagpur BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari attacked the Congress for demanding a halt to the payments, calling it an exposure of the party's "anti-women mindset." He pointed out that other state welfare schemes are being disbursed without interruption and questioned why only the Ladki Bahin scheme was being targeted. Tiwari also recalled that Congress leaders had previously failed in court to stall the scheme.
As the State Election Commission examines the Congress complaint, the Ladki Bahin scheme has become a central theme in the high-stakes civic poll battle. With benefits scheduled to hit accounts barely 24 hours before voting, the issue has sharpened the confrontation between the ruling alliance and the opposition, adding a potent narrative of welfare versus election code of conduct to an already charged campaign atmosphere.
