Maharashtra Election: MVA promises ₹3,000 to women, free bus travel, farm loan waiver & incentives

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – a coalition of the Congress, Sharad Pawar's NCP-SP and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena-UBT – has promised to waive farm loans of up to ₹3 lakh in Maharashtra if it wins power in the upcoming assembly elections.

“Farm loans of up to ₹3 lakh to be waived off in Maharashtra under Krishi Samruddhi Yojana after MVA wins polls,” Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday. He said an incentive of ₹50,000 will be given for regular loan repayment.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray said the MVA-led government will give ₹4,000 per month to each unemployed youth in the state if it comes to power in Maharashtra.

Besides, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised free bus travel and financial assistance to women in Maharashtra. "...Our first guarantee is to transfer ₹3,000 per month to the bank accounts of women directly and to provide free bus travel for women and girls in Maharashtra," Gandhi said.

The assembly polls for the 288 seats in Maharashtra are scheduled for November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23. A total of 10,905 nomination papers have been submitted for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, representing 7,995 candidates across 288 constituencies, the Chief Electoral Officer's office was quoted by ANI as saying.

Meanwhile, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance as well the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi are gearing up and leaving no stone unturned for the assembly polls. Mahayuti is the alliance of Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and MVA is the coalition of Shiv Sena (UBT) (Uddhav Thackeray faction), NCP (SCP) (Sharad Pawar faction) and the Congress.

In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.