Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party, said the Bharatiya Janata Party's planned cash grant for women is an election gimmick.
The dispute highlights an intensifying battle for the women's vote in Uttar Pradesh, where both major political factions are using direct cash transfers as primary campaign tools.
The BJP is reported to be planning a cash grant of Rs 20,000 [1] for women in Uttar Pradesh. This proposal surfaced in April 2026 as the state prepared for elections [1]. While the BJP frames the payment as a welfare measure, Yadav said the move is a way to mask corruption.
"This is a 'jumla' (lie) and a cover for corruption, an election gimmick by the BJP," Yadav said [1].
In response to the BJP's proposal, Yadav restated the financial commitments of the Samajwadi Party. He said his party will continue to promise Rs 40,000 [2] a year for women in Uttar Pradesh [2].
This competing set of promises underscores the high stakes of the regional political landscape. The use of the term "jumla" — a word often used in Indian politics to describe broken promises — suggests a strategy to paint the ruling party as unreliable to the electorate.
By offering a figure double that of the BJP's reported plan, the Samajwadi Party is positioning itself as the more generous option for female voters. The conflict centers not only on the amount of money but on the perceived origin of the funds, with Yadav saying the BJP is using stolen money to secure votes [1].
“"This is a 'jumla' (lie) and a cover for corruption, an election gimmick by the BJP."”
The clash over cash grants reflects a broader trend of 'welfarism' in Indian state politics, where direct benefit transfers are used to build loyal voter bases. By pitting a Rs 20,000 grant against a Rs 40,000 promise, the parties are shifting the campaign focus from systemic policy changes to immediate financial incentives for women.
