Why did EC bar Maharashtra govt from releasing Ladki Bahin scheme payment ahead of civic polls? Explained

THe say Election direction ( unsweet) on mon barred the Mahayuti-led Maharashtra regime from releasing the January instalment of the 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin' scheme ahead of schedule.The SEC issued the clarification after receiving multiple complaints triggered by media reports that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and minister Girish Mahajan had stated that eligible beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme would receive a consolidated amount of ₹3,000 for December and January in their bank accounts before Makar Sankranti on January 14. Track latest updates on Maharashtra civic polls 2026 hereMahajan described this as a "special gift" from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.Why did SEC bar release of Ladki Bahin scheme instalmentThe SEC cited the enforcement of the model code of conduct in view of the upcoming municipal elections, voting for which is due on January 15 and counting on January 16, as HT reported earlier. Following the reports of complaints, the SEC wrote to state chief secretary Rajesh Agarwal on Sunday, seeking clarification by Monday on whether the government planned to disburse two months' instalments together just before the elections.Addressing the complaints, state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said, “We have decided not to allow advance payment. They have given what is due. In addition, the state can't add new beneficiaries.”In a statement issued on Monday, the SEC clarified that regular or pending instalments under the scheme could be released, but advance payments would not be permitted during the model code of conduct period.Guidelines allow development works and welfare schemes that had begun prior to the announcement of elections to continue during the model code period.What is Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin YojanaThe Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is a flagship programme of the Mahayuti alliance-led state government, providing eligible women aged between 18 and 65 years with monthly assistance of ₹1,500. The scheme is widely credited with contributing to the victory of Mahayuti- BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the 2024 state assembly elections.The Opposition criticised Mahajan's announcement, calling it an attempt to influence voters ahead of the January 15 elections to 29 municipal corporations.Sachin Sawant, chief spokesperson of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, said, “The state government was trying to play with feelings of women. They didn't pay for two months and wanted to trade it with votes. I welcome the steps of the State Election Commission. The ECI must take a lesson from SEC decision.”Meanwhile, state Congress leader and advocate Sandesh Kondvilkar submitted a complaint to the SEC on Saturday, alleging that the payment was proposed for January 14, a day before polling, and urged the poll body to intervene and halt the transfer.Lesson from Bihar?In Bihar, where assembly elections were held in November last year, a transfer of ₹10,000 each to women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana by chief minister Nitish Kumar was seen by Opposition as a last-minute move to woo voters in the favour of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which won the polls by a thumping majority.The Bihar elections were held in two phases - November 6 and November 11 - while the counting of votes took place on November 14.The NDA, led by CM Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United (JDU) and the BJP secured 202 of the total 243 seats in Bihar assembly elections, restricting the Congress and former chief minister Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led INDIA bloc - known as the Mahagathbandhan in the state - to merely 35 seats.