Women, farmers in focus as MVA doles out poll sops

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday announced a slew of sops, including ₹3,000 a month to poor women and ₹4,000 a month to unemployed young people, as part of its effort to outdo the ruling Mahayuti two weeks ahead of the high-stakes November 20 assembly elections in Maharashtra.

- Faisal Malik

At a joint rally in Mumbai, the MVA announced five guarantees: ₹3,000 per month to poor women and free travel for women in government buses under the Mahalaxmi Yojna, a farm loan waiver up to ₹3 lakh and additional financial assistance of ₹50,000 to the farmers repaying their loan on a regular basis (Krishi Samruddhi), a health insurance of ₹25 lakh to all and free medicines (Kutumb Rakshan), a caste-based census and removing the 50% ceiling on quota (Samantechi Hami), and a direct cash of ₹4,000 per month to all unemployed young people (Yuvkana Shabd).

All five guarantees were based on the poll manifesto declared by the Congress during its assembly campaigns in Karnataka and Telangana last year.

"Women are the biggest sufferers from inflation. Thus our first guarantee to disburse ₹3,000 per month in the back accounts of women," Gandhi said.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandraji Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke at the rally.