‘Mama Giving Laddu To His Sisters’: Will Ladli Bahen Yojana Impact Women’s Votes In Madhya Pradesh?

Readying the chulah and sorting the usable woods that are kept beside the yet-to-be-filled gas cylinder, Rima Inwati, in her late 20s looks happy. While scanning her mobile to show the notification that reads, “your bank account xxxx has been credited by Rs. 1250”, she says, “Every month, this amount is a respite for us. Mama has taken care of her sisters.” Her spontaneous reference to Shivraj Singh Chouhan as ‘Mama’ was not mediated. “It is a sister’s love for her brother,” says Rima’s husband.

Around 300 kms away from the state capital Bhopal, Shyamlia Bada village in Jhabua district barely received the fruits of central government schemes. Be it PMAY or Jal Jeevan Mission, the performance rate as the government data shows are not up to the mark. But there is one ray of hope – Chouhan’s Ladli Bahen Yojana that gives Rs. 1250 directly to the accounts of the women between age group of 21 to 60 whose annual family income is less than Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

Though the amount was Rs. 1000 when he announced the scheme in January, it was raised in August. According to the government data, in rural areas, against 57.7 per cent male only 23.3 per cent women participate in the labour force. In urban areas, the women participation is even less pegging at 13.6 per cent against 55.9 per cent. In this backdrop, Chouhan’s scheme seems to address the issue of economic independence of a woman besides addressing women’s health and nutrition, says a local BJP leader. The objective of the scheme also notes that it would enhance the decision-making capacity of the women.

However, for most of the men in the villages, this is ‘Mama’s love’. “Mama gives money to his sisters to have laddu!," says Namdeo Singhar, a Bhil Adivasi of Chhota Khairu village. But these ‘laddus’ may be effective in polls, note local reporters.

“In 2019 Loksabha elections, BJP did extremely well in Madhya Pradesh banking on PMAY and in 2023 assembly elections, Ladli Bahen Yojana would play significant role,” says Virendra Singh Rathore who has been covering the state politics for decades.

In an interview to a national newspaper, Chouhan himself recently said that the women voters would play a crucial role in favour of BJP. Madhya Pradesh has 26 million women voters and as per the data of 2018, the turnout of women voters was 74.01 per cent - formidable rise in contrast to their 29.01 per cent participation in 1962 elections. The CM has promised 35 per cent women reservation in all government jobs. Apart from that, the party is also banking on the existing schemes like Mukhyamantri Ladli Lakshmi Yojana and Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah and Nikah Yojana.

As per the Ladli Laxmi Yojana, Chouhan government deposits Rs. 18,000 when a girl child is born and the amount – disbursed in installments – becomes almost Rs. 2 lakhs by the time she appears for class 12 exams.

“The major objective of this scheme is to empower and educate women. On one hand, it contributes to population control as the family having more than two children doesn’t get the benefit and on the other, it ensures education for women,” says Archana Tripathi, a state level leader of BJP’s women wing.

Referring to the successful implementation of the scheme, she adds, “People say that Muslims vote for Congress but when I met people, most of the women told me that they make this dua that Chouhan becomes the CM again.”

Rani Damor, a resident of Alirajpur district, thinks that Ladli Bahen Yojana has bolstered her independence. “We don’t need to ask our husband for small things. We can now do it by ourselves,” says Damor. The Congress has also thrown its hat into the ring to woo the women voters. In its manifesto, it has declared that the monthly stipend would be increased to Rs. 1500, if they come to power.

Even after this, the clouds of despair rarely fade away. Jamsingh Damor while talking about the rising price of seeds says, “Most of the amount she gets, we invest in farming.” Still, something is better than nothing, he adds.