The parliamentary elections were disappointing for the BJP. Five political parties came together to win maximum seats for NDA but somehow this time people were not happy with the workings of the government and they got fewer seats than expected. Now they cannot afford to take a chance, as Assembly elections are ahead.
The ruling alliance in Maharashtra announced various provisions aimed at harvesting votes from women, unemployed youth, farmers, army personnel, and the poor. The announcements come three weeks after the Lok Sabha election results saw the ruling alliance see a significant reduction in its numbers in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saw the number of its Lok Sabha MPs from the state come down from 23 in 2019 to 9 in 2024, and the ruling alliance’s numbers declined from 42 in 2019 to 17 this year.
Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the budget, and the government announced it will transfer Rs 1,500 into the bank accounts of eligible women in the age group of 21 and 60 every month beginning July 1 under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme. It also proposed to offer three LPG cylinders free of cost to a family in a year under the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana, which the Mahayuti government said will benefit over 52 lakh families across the state.
Targeting the unemployed youth in Maharashtra, the government has announced a scheme to provide a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 to Rs 10 lakh to interns under the CM Yuva Karya Prashikshan Scheme. It has also announced to waive agri-pump electricity bills for more than 46 lakh farmers in the state. The government also announced a reduction in fuel prices in Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai by cutting petrol prices by 65 paise per litre and that of diesel by Rs 2.07 per litre.
To further impress women voters, the government has decided to sustain an expenditure of Rs 46,000 crore on the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme; it allocated Rs 10,000 crore for the CM Yuva Karya Prashikshan Scheme. The government has allocated Rs 14,761 crore for the electricity bill waiver scheme and it said that the Annapurna scheme will benefit over 52 lakh families across the state. The Maharashtra government has announced that 10,000 women in 17 cities will be financed to buy pink e-rickshaws, leading to an expenditure of Rs 80 crore for the government. The applicant for this scheme should be between 18-35 years old.
The Varkari community was upset with Modi and the BJP when they announced the Pandharpur corridor. To do the damage control, the government also announced a grant of Rs 20,000 to each Dindi, a procession of devotees of Lord Vitthal, participating in the Pandharpur Ashadhi Ekadashi Vari that culminates in the temple town of Pandharpur. Pawar also says that the government will give approval to the Wadhavan port, which is proposed in Palghar.
Further, the Maharashtra government has decided to give exemption from the payment of profession tax to the armed soldiers of the Assam Rifles, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guard, and Sashastra Seema Bal. This will benefit approximately 12,000 soldiers.
The Maharashtra government has announced 100% tuition fee reimbursement to OBC and economically weaker section girls with incomes up to Rs 8 lakh. This is a move to increase the proportion of girls in vocational education. It is estimated that about 2 lakh girls will benefit from this, leading to an expenditure of about Rs. 2000 crores for the government.
The Maharashtra government announced that 25 lakhs will be given as financial assistance to the people who died in wild animal attacks. This amount has been increased from the 20 lakhs provided earlier. The Maharashtra government also announced that petrol prices in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane will be reduced by 65 paise. Tax on diesel is being decreased which will lead to 2.07 rupees per litre less prices of diesel. In the Mumbai region, the tax on petrol is being decreased, which will effectively decrease petrol rates by 65 paise per litre.
While the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is likely to corner the government over several issues during the monsoon session, the ruling alliance has planned to counter it with a populist, ‘please all election budget’” ahead of the Assembly polls slated for later this year.
