Pune | The Maharashtra government’s ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme for women is good but its announcement and implementation just months ahead of the assembly elections is nothing but a “jumla” (gimmick), said NCP (SP) Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule on Thursday.

Under the state government’s ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ announced last week in the budget, eligible women will be given Rs 1,500 per month.

“As the Maharashtra elections are hardly 2 to 3 months away, a shower of ‘jumlas’ was expected from the state government,” the Baramati MP told reporters here.

Maharashtra assembly polls are due in October.

“The scheme is good in the wake of growing unemployment and inflation. The state government tried to give support to women but the scheme has many conditions and riders,” said Sule when asked about the scheme's implementation.

She said though she welcomes the programme, its introduction before the state polls is nothing but an ‘election jumla’.

The senior NCP (SP) leader said elections are being won by availing loans (borrowing) and spending government funds but those in power, be it anyone, need to reflect on the cost at which it is coming.

Sule said she and her party’s newly elected MPs met Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal over the Centre’s export policies concerning onion, milk and sugar.

Asked about her cousin and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s assertions that corruption allegations against him have not been yet proved, Sule said Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis should respond to that as he had levelled those charges.

After last week's budget, Ajit Pawar had taken to X to claim that baseless allegations were made against him but could not be proved. The allegations will never be proved, he had asserted.

Sule said big claims were made about truckloads of evidence and her “three sisters were raided when they were not even connected (with anything)”.

“Who is responsible for these raids? It is the ones who are in power. So it is not Maha Vikas Aghadi (opposition bloc) which should give answers regarding corruption allegations against Ajit Pawar. It is ‘Mahayuti’ (BJP-led ruling alliance) that should respond as BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fadanvis, who levelled these against Ajit Pawar,” she said.