With the state government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis openly admitting that 26.34 lakh ineligible beneficiaries have taken benefit of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday said it will approach the Supreme Court to have the 2024 assembly election process cancelled while the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party said the Enforcement Directorate and the Election Commission of India should investigate the way the elections were conducted.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said,”Our Women and Child Welfare Minister has clearly stated that there are 26 lakh accounts which do not fit in the criteria of Ladki Bahin Yojana. There are men and even those who are taking advantage of other schemes. All these accounts have not been suspended. All these accounts will be verified. If these accounts are confirmed to be ineligible, then we will cancel them,” the Chief Minister said on Tuesday after the cabinet meeting.
Last week, Minister for Women and Child Welfare Aditi Tatkare said,”We have temporarily suspended accounts of 26.34 lakh beneficiaries from June 2025. The eligibility of the suspended beneficiaries will be verified by officials of the respective district collectorates.”
Reacting to the state government’s admission of 26.34 lakh ineligible accounts, Sanjay Raut, spokesperson for the Shiv Sena (UBT) said, ”This is nothing but a big election fraud. The women voters were bribed to vote for the Mahayuti. The entire 2024 election process in Maharashtra should be cancelled. According to the Representative of People Act, 1951, this amounts to a corrupt practice. And therefore the Election Commission of India should not sit quiet when democratic norms have been violated. It should investigate how voters were bribed through Rs 1500 a month benefit. This is like offering them cash for every vote.”
Raut said besides the ECI, the Enforcement Directorate is not moving into action quickly. ”When it comes to opposition leaders and allegations against them, it quickly targets them through raids. In this case, when the government itself has admitted that it paid money to voters before the elections, why is the ED not taking action. It should make those who started the scheme accused in the case,” he said.
Raut said the Sena (UBT) was planning to approach the Supreme Court in this matter. ”Since there is an open admission of election fraud, we are planning to approach the Supreme Court. We are fully hopeful that the SC will take decisive action on our appeal,” he said.
Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson of the Maharashtra Congress said, ”This is election fraud. Now where is the Enforcement Directorate? Why is the Election Commission of India watching as a spectator? Everything is in public domain, the government itself has brought to fore how 26.34 ineligible voters exercised their franchise. It is obvious that the government benefitted through this bribe offering. The question is, will the ED act on this election fraud or continue to shut its eyes and ears?”
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AAP spokesperson Mukund Kirdat said, ”Undoubtedly, Maharashtra has seen the biggest election fraud hitherto. The government indiscriminately distributed cash so that the women voters and their family members vote it back to power. The government was jittery as the Lok Sabha election results showed that voters wanted a change of rule in Maharashtra. And therefore it resorted to offering cash benefits to the voters.”
Babu Nair, general secretary of Maharashtra Congress said, “’The Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched just three months before the 2024 elections. In those three months more than 2 crore women were given Rs 4500 cash benefits. It was clear during the election time that the government was indulging in corrupt practice. Yet the Election Commission of India kept quiet.”
Nair said women who were earning over a lakh monthly salary, who owned cars and those who were paying income tax also benefitted under the Ladki Bahin Yojana. ”Because of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, funds availability for welfare of the poor has been affected. The Ministers themselves have admitted this situation.”
