Photo: Kharge, Rahul Gandhi at residence of Nanded MP Vasantrao Chavan who passed away recently

By Tejas

Pune, September 5, 2024: Pune: With the Maharashtra assembly elections on the horizon, political tensions between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and opposition parties continue to escalate. While the ruling coalition is actively promoting the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the opposition has criticised the scheme, dismissing it as a mere political ploy.

During his recent visit to Sangli, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge made a significant announcement about the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Kharge declared that, if voted to power, the Mahavikas Aghadi alliance would increase the monthly installment under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000. "If our government comes to power in Maharashtra, we will provide two thousand rupees monthly to our beloved sisters," Kharge stated. He was joined on stage by NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and MP Rahul Gandhi during the event.

Kharge was in Sangli today in connection with the unveiling of a statue of the late leader Patangrao Kadam. Taking the opportunity to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge referenced the recent collapse of a Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan, implying that the rush to inaugurate it resulted in the incident.

Kharge continued his criticism, targeting Modi's high-profile inaugurations. “Modi inaugurated the Shivaji Maharaj's statue at Rajkot Fort, which collapsed. He inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, which is leaking. He inaugurated the bridge in Gujrat that also collapsed,” Kharge added, drawing a comparison between the perceived haste and lack of thoroughness in various government projects.

"We Will Give Rs 2000 Monthly to Sisters"

Kharge reinforced his commitment to women’s welfare by reiterating his promise to increase the benefit under the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme. “If the Mahavikas Aghadi forms the government, we will provide Rs 2000 per month to women across Maharashtra. This is our commitment to the state’s women,” Kharge said. He emphasised that winning Maharashtra was crucial, expressing confidence that a victory in the state would signal a significant challenge to the ruling BJP at the national level.

"Real Shiv Sena and NCP Are With Us"

Targeting the ruling BJP's alleged attempts to sideline regional parties, Kharge declared that the "real Shiv Sena and NCP" remained aligned with the opposition alliance, dismissing factions allied with the BJP as "duplicates." He lamented that the opposition fell just short of the number of seats needed to prevent the current government at center, saying, “Had we won 20 more seats, this government wouldn’t have been in power today.”

Sharad Pawar’s Security Raises Questions

Kharge also took a swipe at the government’s decision to provide Z+ security to Sharad Pawar. “When Pawar needed security, they didn’t provide it. Now, when there are people with us, they’ve decided to give him Z+ security. Only those who are afraid need security,” he quipped, hinting at the BJP’s alleged motives behind the move.