In the realm of election dynamics, female voters are emerging as a crucial force. Consequently, a wide array of government initiatives across India are being tailored to appeal to women. This strategy, often termed ‘ladies first,’ ensures that both central and state government programs are directly accessible to women within their households.
In line with this electoral approach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a significant offering for the women of Bihar. Under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, the PM distributed an initial installment of ₹10,000 each to 7.5 million rural women. The overall goal is to provide up to ₹2 lakh in financial aid to each woman. This move is widely seen as a major step to connect with women voters directly before the upcoming elections.
History provides ample evidence that political parties in various states have historically presented enticing promises to captivate women during elections. These enticing promises have proven advantageous for the political parties involved. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar, and at the central level, the Modi government, have successfully secured victories in elections by focusing on women-centric programs. This has led to the adoption of similar strategies by other political parties, which have also yielded positive results. With PM Modi’s announcement in Bihar, it is evident that the 2025 electoral landscape will primarily center around the interests of women.
In Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government provided smartphones to every member of women’s self-help groups. Moreover, free sanitary napkins were distributed to adolescent girls in government schools. Under the Jagananna Ammavodi scheme, mothers sending their children to school received ₹15,000. Brides from the OBC community were given ₹50,000, while SC/ST and minority brides received ₹1 lakh as marriage gifts.
In Maharashtra, the BJP government runs the Ladki Bahin Yojana, initiated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This program brought about direct benefits for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the previous assembly elections and is still active in the Fadnavis government. In Haryana, the BJP government is implementing the Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, offering ₹21 per month to every woman.
West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee government is implementing the Rupashree Yojana to attract women. This scheme offers ₹2.5 lakh to economically disadvantaged families for their daughters’ marriages. In addition, the Kanyashree Yojana offers annual scholarships to school girls aged 13-18 years.
Telangana’s K. Chandrasekhar Rao government has initiated schemes like Shaadi Mubarak and Kalyana Lakshmi, providing ₹1 lakh to brides’ families. The KCR Kit scheme offers ₹13,000 for essential items for newborns and mothers. In Tamil Nadu, the marriage assistance scheme provides brides with an 8-gram Jayalalitha gold coin, while in Karnataka, the Saptapadi Vivah Yojana offers brides a Mangalsutra worth ₹40,000, ₹10,000 in cash, and grooms ₹5,000 in cash.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi government’s Shaadi Anudan Yojana provides ₹55,000 for the marriage of two daughters of a labor family and ₹61,000 for inter-caste marriages. The Bhagyalakshmi Yojana offers bonds of ₹50,000 for the education of daughters from poor families. In Assam, the Arundhati Yojana gives brides one tola of gold, while the Gyan Deepka Yojana waives admission fees, provides free school uniforms, and offers e-bikes. The Indira Miri Universal Widow Pension Yojana provides immediate assistance of ₹25,000 to widows over 45 years of age.
The Chhattisgarh government provides financial assistance to widows and divorced women under the Shakti Swaroopa Yojana. The Mahtari Vandan Yojana was launched in the BJP government, and its announcement prior to the elections was advantageous for the BJP. In Odisha, during Naveen Patnaik’s tenure, smartphones were given to women from self-help groups. The Mamata Yojana provides ₹5,000 to pregnant women for maternal and infant care, and the Subhadra Yojana offers additional support.
In Rajasthan, the Ashok Gehlot government’s Devnarayan School Scooty Yojana gave scooters to 6,000 meritorious tribal girls, along with free education in government institutions. The Aapki Beti Yojana provides ₹1,000 to girls in classes 1-8 and scholarships of ₹2,100 to students in classes 9-12. In Delhi, the BJP government has promised ₹2500 monthly to poor women under the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana.
During the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh, the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Yojana gave ₹51,000 to brides. The Ladli Behna Yojana, which was started under the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, is still ongoing. This initiative is believed to have greatly boosted Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s popularity.
From Nitish Kumar’s cycle scheme in Bihar to the Modi government’s Ujjwala Yojana and the Delhi government’s free bus travel, women voters have consistently shown their influence. This trend has motivated state governments to introduce diverse schemes, including cash transfers, smartphones, gold, scooters, educational support, pensions, and employment opportunities, specifically for women.
