Amid weak execution, welfare may not have influenced Maharashtra vote

State-level welfare initiatives have performed unevenly, with the Central government schemes reaching slightly higher number of beneficiaries. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra relied on welfare-driven politics for securing the voter support, a tactic that the BJP has successfully implemented in other States.

In Maharashtra, however, State-level welfare initiatives have performed unevenly, with the Union government schemes reaching slightly higher number of beneficiaries.

The Lokniti-CSDS survey looked for the extent of penetration of these schemes and their impact. Except the PDS, even the Union schemes have a limited reach in Maharashtra compared to many other States. The State government tried to duplicate many of those schemes during the past three years. However, as indicated by the data here, most of these schemes have remained on paper. The only exception is the recently announced Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana which guarantees monthly ₹1,500 to eligible women.

In the Lokniti-CSDS survey, more than 80% women respondents said that they have applied for these benefits. Given the overall weak and uneven implementation of the welfare schemes, there is hardly any connection between welfare and vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Although the Mahayuti got a slight advantage among beneficiaries of schemes such as PM Awas and Ujjwala, those who did not benefit have also voted for the ruling alliance.

Obviously, despite the official manifestos of parties promoting welfare schemes on a large scale and despite the material anxieties of several social sections, issues of welfare do not seem to have influenced the vote in Maharashtra this time.

(Rajeshwari Deshpande teaches at Savitribai Phule Pune University and Krishangi Sinha is a researcher at Lokniti-CSDS) 

Published - November 25, 2024 01:19 am IST