Maharashtra elections: the role of welfare schemes in electoral choices

While welfare schemes may have been a contributing part of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s strategy, their impact on voting behaviour has been limited

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti (Grand Alliance) in Maharashtra appears to be banking on welfare-driven politics to consolidate voter support, a strategy BJP has successfully employed in other States. However, in Maharashtra, the performance of State-level welfare schemes has been uneven, with only a few schemes achieving significant outreach.

The MIT-SOG and Lokniti-CSDS survey sought to analyse the penetration of these schemes and their impact on vote choice.

State versus Central schemes

Among State government schemes, the Ladki Bahin yojana has emerged as the most popular one. Designed to empower women by providing ₹1,500 to each beneficiary via direct bank transfer, it has reached a considerable segment of beneficiaries. Eight in 10 voters are aware of it, and seven in 10 have benefited directly. This scheme is a success story, both in terms of awareness and impact. However, the popularity of other State schemes has been fairly limited. For instance, Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana, aimed at improving primary healthcare, was known to only one-third of voters, and among them, only 30% benefited. The Kisan Mitra Urja Yojana, intended to reduce farmers’ dependence on diesel and increase agricultural income, also saw low penetration. Nearly a quarter have heard of the scheme and 37% have benefited. Similarly, the Mahasamruddhi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana, focused on empowering rural women through official property registrations, saw limited awareness, with just one-quarter of voters aware of it and 37% benefiting.

In comparison, Central government schemes demonstrated wider outreach. Ujjwala Yojana, which provides subsidised LPG connections, was familiar to nearly seven in 10 voters, with 45% reportedly benefiting from it. The Ayushman Bharat, offering free health insurance to low-income groups, had greater awareness, with three in four voters being aware of it, though the proportion of those benefiting was comparatively lower (35%). It was also explored whether beneficiaries of schemes were more inclined to support the Mahayuti alliance.

The data shows that both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of Central government schemes supported the Mahayuti in almost equal proportions, indicating that the alliance failed to gain an edge among the beneficiaries. For State schemes, non-beneficiaries showed greater support for the alliance than beneficiaries, except for the Ladki Bahin Yojana, where those benefiting from the scheme voted for the alliance slightly more than the non-beneficiaries (45% versus 41%, respectively).

In summary, while welfare schemes may have been a contributing part of the Mahayuti alliance’s strategy, their impact on voting behaviour has been limited. Although the Ladki Bahin Yojana successfully bolstered support for the alliance, other State schemes failed to attract voters. As Maharashtra heads into elections a month from now, the challenge for the alliance will be to enhance the effectiveness and reach of its welfare programs to sustain voter loyalty.

Published - October 21, 2024 08:30 am IST