What happened
The Maharashtra Congress alleged that the BJP-led Maharashtra government used the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for electoral gain before the 2024 Assembly election and later excluded a large number of beneficiaries. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil said nearly 62 lakh women were removed because of e-KYC-related issues.
Patil said a recent Comptroller and Auditor General report was only the tip of the iceberg and demanded immediate restoration of benefits for eligible women. He also alleged that the government launched the programme despite an anticipated annual burden of about ₹44,000 crore and later promised to increase monthly assistance from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100 after the election.
Background and earlier position
The Ladki Bahin scheme is a women-focused cash assistance programme in Maharashtra. The current controversy concerns scheme design, beneficiary verification, fiscal cost, and possible exclusion of eligible women because of digital verification requirements.
The Congress allegation also refers to earlier approvals allegedly given to ineligible beneficiaries, including men, government employees, and recipients of other welfare schemes. The allegation is that implementation failures and weak checks widened both inclusion and exclusion errors.
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