‘Laapataa Ladies’ campaign by Congress ahead of Maharashtra poll slams Mahayuti government

The Congress in Maharashtra launched an election campaign based on Kiran Rao directed movie “Laapataa Ladies” to highlight alleged failure of chief minister Eknath Shinde government over women’s safety in the state, NDTV reported.

“64,000 women missing in a year” claim posters put up by the Congress in Marathi. The posters also feature silhouettes of Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis.

The number of women claimed to be missing by the Congress is based on a statement made by Devendra Fadnavis in the state assembly in August. “Women’s safety is a cause of concern for the country. In Maharashtra, around 64,000 girls and women go missing every year and during Covid in 2019 and 2020 the number was the same. In 2021, 61,000 cases were registered. 87% of them have returned home, while in 2022, 86% of the missing girls and women have returned. We have been taking steps to bring this percentage down,” Fadnavis had said.

Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana

Ahead of upcoming Maharashtra assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government has been reaching out to women voters across the state. The parties’ part of the alliance – Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Ajit Pawar’s NCP and the BJP -have been highlighting the “Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana” during their election rallies.

Under the income support scheme, eligible women between 21 to 65 years of age, with family annual income less than ₹2.5 lakh, will receive up to ₹1,500 per month. The Women Empowerment Mission, launched in October last year by the Shinde government, aims to bring all schemes of the state and Union governments relating to socio-economic development of women onto one platform. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also participate in an event connected to the scheme on October 5 in Thane.

(With inputs from PTI)