Just months before Tamil Nadu and West Bengal elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minsiter M.K StaliN’S DMK rolled out a Rs 5,000 cash credit to 1.31 crore women under the Kalaignar Women’s Rights Scheme, a mix of three months advance aid straight to their bank accounts.
Similarly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ramped up her Lakshmir Bhandar scheme with a Rs 500 monthly hike for 2.42 crore beneficiaries, fueling a Rs 12,000 crore+ yearly spend amid intensifying political buzz.
It’s all part of India’s high-stakes electoral chess; it is not new for political parties in India to roll out women-centric schemes or upgrade them ahead of elections.
BJP’s poll-winning Ladli Behna in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to Congress’s Gruha Lakshmi scheme in Karnataka are some of the most recent examples of wooing women to build fierce loyalty, sway close contests, and ride the wave of soaring female turnout that now outpaces men’s.
Women-centric vote bank dynamics
Women in India are seen as vulnerable and easy targets by political parties in the women-centric vote bank dynamic due to entrenched socio-economic disparities.
They limit their independence and amplify reliance on immediate aid. In a patriarchal society where women often shoulder unpaid care work, face lower workforce participation with around 37% per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, and grapple with domestic violence.
Cash schemes like DMK’s Rs 5,000 payout or Mamata’s Lakshmir Bhandar hikes deliver quick relief directly to bank accounts, bypassing male intermediaries and fostering personal gratitude over ideological loyalty.
This somehow exploits their restricted access to resources; rural women aged 30-70 who are the key beneficiaries, prioritise family survival amid inflation, while parties sidestep deeper issues and turning structural vulnerability into electoral gold as female turnout surges past men’s.
Freebies fueling elections
Ahead of elections across India, ‘freebie culture’ has taken off big time, with parties handing out cash payments, free bus rides, laptops, and cheap gas cylinders to grab votes.
The freebee culture is not new to India, but has certainly evolved over time. Earlier promises were centric to foodgrains, and now centre around cash framed in the name of schemes.
DMK’s Rs 5,000 each to 1.31 crore women under the Kalaignar scheme, Mamata Banerjee’s raised Lakshmir Bhandar by Rs 500 per month.
Earlier, similar schemes were rolled out by governments, the Ladli Behna powered wins in Madhya Pradesh in 2023, Congress’s Gruha Lakshmi grabbed Karnataka in along with JMM’s Maiya Samman in Jharkhand in 2024. These direct payments build fast loyalty in close races.
Why Women?
Parties chase women voters with cash handouts before elections because it’s a fast track to victory in India’s massive polls, and women form nearly half of the 97 crore electorate.
Their turnout now edges out men’s at 65.75% versus 65.55% in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, making them a decisive swing force in tight races.
Direct bank transfers like DMK’s Rs 5,000 or BJP’s Ladli Behna deliver instant relief to cash-strapped households amid inflation and job woes, skipping middlemen for personal gratitude to the leader. These schemes around polls build fast loyalty in close races.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
