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Aspirants launch women centric schemes to reap ‘Ladki Bahin’ benefits
Most such initiatives are being rolled out by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aspirants across various wards
After the Ladki Bahin scheme helped secure electoral gains in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, several aspirants for the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections are adopting similar women-focused initiatives in their wards — this time dipping into their pockets to fund the plans.
In the Parvati assembly area, prospective candidates have launched activities such as water park trips, scooter-riding lessons, helicopter rides and karate training exclusively for women. Most such initiatives are being rolled out by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aspirants across various wards.
BJP’s Mahesh Wable, Ganesh Ghosh and Prashant Thopate organised a women’s trip to a water park, putting up banners and asking participants to register using Aadhaar and voter ID cards. “I regularly organise programmes for women, but the nature of the events changes every year,” Wable said.
Former deputy mayor Smita Walse has started free two-wheeler training for women in her ward, while in the Dandekar Bridge area, free four-wheeler driving lessons have also been launched. BJP corporator Rajendra Shilimkar said he has begun free karate training for girls to promote self-defence. Another aspirant, Yogesh Adhav, has announced free helicopter rides for women.
Many aspirants say these programmes are driven by electoral experience. One candidate, requesting anonymity, said, “Women voters are more loyal than men. If they benefit from a scheme, they usually vote for the same candidate. Men often take advantage of multiple candidates.”
Another aspirant said word-of-mouth among women amplifies these benefits. “Even if we organise a picnic for a hundred women, the news spreads to more than a thousand,” the candidate said.
A BJP aspirant added that the party has focused more on outreach to women after the Ladki Bahin scheme proved effective. “It has helped us consolidate support. Even the media discusses the pattern now,” the aspirant said.
