The Mahayuti coalition has regained power in Maharashtra, winning over 200 seats in the 2024 assembly elections. The BJP was the largest party, securing 132 seats, while Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also had strong performances. Political analysts believe that the Mahayuti's success is largely due to the Ladki Bahin scheme, which offers financial support to women at ₹2,100 per month.
When pressed by journalists about the future of this scheme, the new Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, responded clearly. He guaranteed that the Ladki Bahin scheme would not be canceled and confirmed that the monthly amount would indeed increase to ₹2,100. However, he noted that such decisions would be evaluated during the budget process, taking into account the state's financial capacity to ensure proper implementation.
Fadnavis emphasized the government's commitment to delivering on all its promises, assuring that provisions would be made for all eligible individuals to benefit from the scheme. "No one will be left out," he said.
He compared the scheme to the farmer's scheme initiated by Prime Minister Modi, mentioning that initially, some farmers outside the eligibility criteria received benefits. Upon review, the eligibility was clarified, and the scheme became more stable. Similarly, he assured that the government would implement thorough checks for the Ladki Bahin scheme. "The grand alliance government has no plans to completely rethink the Ladki Bahin scheme. It will continue," he reiterated during the press conference.