IT'S RAINING PROMISES

ONSET OF SILLY POLL SEASON | Women will get ₹3,000 per month, can avail of free bus travel; loan waivers for farmers

- Prajakta Pol

The election campaign for the Maharashtra assembly elections was officially flagged off on Wednesday. Both Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayuti made a flurry of announcements about their plans for the people. At a joint rally by the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders - Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, and other senior leaders of the opposition alliance - a five-point plan was presented. One of the key promises was the introduction of the Mahalakshmi scheme, to counter the Ladki Bahin scheme.

Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, ₹3,000 will be credited to the bank accounts of women every month. Additionally, there will be free bus travel for women in Maharashtra. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the joint MVA rally in Mumbai, said, "The BJP government has increased inflation and unemployment. Therefore, our first guarantee is to give ₹3,000 to women and provide them free bus service."