'Ladki Bahin' dole: Maha MLA threatens to take back money if people don’t vote for MahaYuti govt

Quaid Najmi

Amravati/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Aug 12 (IANS) In a shocking statement, an independent MLA supporting the MahaYuti government on Monday virtually threatened to take back the Rs 1,500 per month dole in the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme if the beneficiaries don't vote it (MahaYuti) back to power. 

The ostensible menace by three-time Badnera legislator Ravi G. Rana sparked strong protests from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leaders, who demanded an apology from the government.

Rana's utterances came at a function to distribute the scheme registration certificates, saris-blouses to around 15,800 women, organised at the Cultural Bhavan in the presence of his wife and ex-MP Navneet Rana, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Rajya Sabha MP Anil Bonde and top officials of the district collectorate.

Speaking on the occasion, Rana said that when the MahaYuti government returns to power (after the October Assembly elections), it will double the 'Ladki Bahin' dole from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per month, at the event organised in his constituency.

"However, if you do not bless us in the polls, then we shall take back even Rs 1,500. If the government gives you all this, then it should also get your support," Rana said.

Taking a strong note of this, Congress' Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar slammed Rana and the MahaYuti regime for trying to cheat the women of the state and buying out their votes for Rs 1,500 dole in the upcoming elections.

"The 'Ladki Bahin' scheme is funded by government money. It's not from your pockets. What MLA Rana has spoken is the mind of the CM (Eknath Shinde) and Deputy CMs (Devendra Fadnavis & Ajit Pawar). Do they think that our sisters will sell their votes for a paltry Rs 1,500?" questioned an irate Wadettiwar.

SS-UBT's National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari said Rana's statement shows the sheer desperation of Rana, who somehow wants to ensure his victory after his wife (Navneet Rana) was outright rejected in the Lok Sabha elections by the Amravati electorate.

"Such a declaration is an open threat to the poor people... we shall protest against the Ranas. We will file a complaint against them for intimidating the masses and seeking to buy their votes through government funds," said Tiwari.

Taking a swipe, NCP-SP National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto said Rana "must be thanked for speaking the truth and exposing the MahaYuti on the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme and their motives behind it".

"Rana has openly expressed the hidden agenda of the MahaYuti government. They are showing a lollipop for the peoples' votes and later the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme will be yanked off. They are treating government funds as their party fund and blatantly misusing it. All this must be probed," demanded Crasto.

Wadettiwar wondered how can Rana speak like this when it's the government's money, which 'does not belong to his father', nor is he the CM or a Deputy CM of the state.

"Rana has laid bare the plans in the minds of Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar to deceive the women through 'Ladki Bahin' scheme, to get their votes for Rs 1,500. This is an insult to all the women of the state and the government must apologise to them," demanded Wadettiwar.

Tiwari recalled how, just before the Lok Sabha elections, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar had issued similar threats to the people of Baramati, that he would starve them of developmental funds if they did not vote for his wife Sunetra A. Pawar (now, a Rajya Sabha MP), "but the people of Maharashtra taught them a lesson".

"Whatever Rana or the MahaYuti leaders claim or dole out, they have lost the confidence of the people and the MVA government will return to power in a couple of months," predicted Tiwari.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: [email protected])