The "Ladki Bahin" scheme has sparked a heated debate between the opposition and the ruling party. NCP Sharad Pawar faction MLA Rohit Pawar has accused the ruling coalition of 'copying and pasting' the scheme from Madhya Pradesh out of fear after the Lok Sabha election results. In response, Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil countered, stating that the scheme has made the opposition uneasy.
Rohit Pawar said, "The ruling coalition panicked after the Lok Sabha results. Instead of coming up with their own good scheme, they have copied and pasted the Madhya Pradesh model and introduced the Ladki Bahin scheme." He criticised the government for its approach, arguing, "Maharashtra used to lead the nation, but now our state is indulging in copy-pasting. Moreover, women face many challenges in benefiting from this scheme. We are not criticising the scheme but the government's execution of it."
State Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had claimed that the opposition was scared due to the Ladki Bahin scheme brought in by the government. Rohit Pawar, however, targeted the government, questioning, "Where will the funds for this scheme come from? You announce the scheme without making any financial provisions. Once announced, a scheme should be seen through to completion. This government will fund it for three months and then discontinue it." Pawar assured that if the Mahavikas Aghadi comes to power, he will not only continue the scheme but also strive to implement it effectively.
Rohit Pawar also alleged discord among the Chief Minister and the two Deputy Chief Ministers in the government. He claimed, "Although both Deputy Chief Ministers hold the same rank, every file from Ajit Pawar goes to Devendra Fadnavis first. This implies that Devendra Fadnavis has indirect control over Ajit Pawar." He further criticised, "Ajit Pawar is the Finance Minister, yet if a file reaches him, he suppresses it. The Chief Minister also halts files that come to him. This government is stuck in a state of paralysis." With these remarks, Rohit Pawar launched a strong attack on the ruling coalition.