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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said his government paid Rs 5,000 each to 1.31 crore women under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme in an effort to overcome the attempts to halt the monthly transfers ahead of Assembly elections.
“The [BJP] was trying to stop the scheme for three months by hiding behind elections. Our Dravidian model government thwarted their designs,” Stalin said in a video message. He added that beneficiaries would face hardship in meeting expenses for medicines, children’s education, and household needs if the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance was interrupted once the Model Code of Conduct came into force.
The Rs 5,000 credited this week covers entitlements for February, March, and April, including Rs 3,000 in regular assistance and Rs 2,000 as an additional summer component. Stalin also reiterated that if returned to power, the monthly assistance would be raised to Rs 2,000.
DMK sources said Stalin’s remarks were linked to a pending matter before the Supreme Court concerning election “freebies”. A public interest litigation filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeks regulation of pre-poll promises and cash transfers funded from the public exchequer. Upadhyay has argued that large scale welfare assurances before elections distort the level playing field and amount to corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act.
During earlier hearings, the petitioner told the court that with multiple Assembly elections approaching, “only the sun and moon are left to be promised,” urging judicial intervention to curb what he termed “irrational freebies”.
The Supreme Court has described the issue as one of paramount public importance and indicated that it requires consideration by a three-judge Bench. The Chief Justice asked parties to wait for a detailed hearing scheduled for March. The court has previously noted the difficulty in distinguishing between legitimate welfare measures and inducements aimed at influencing voters.
The example from BJP-led Assam
According to sources, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government was apprehensive that the pending petition before the Supreme Court could be cited in March to stall the direct benefit transfer under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme. Such a move, they believed, would not only disrupt payments to beneficiaries but could also dent the DMK’s electoral prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections. The advance disbursal of funds was therefore seen as a preemptive step to avoid any interruption.
Sources also said that the DMK leadership has received information that the BJP-led Assam government is looking at an early disbursement of direct benefit transfer (DBT) under the Orunodoi Scheme, which provides monthly financial assistance to women in economically vulnerable households. “We heard that by February 20, they are planning to release funds for the next few months to circumvent the stay on DBT if the SC orders so in March,” the source said.
While the BJP has spoken against welfare schemes, calling them ‘freebies’ several times, there has been a pattern of double-speak, with many state governments led by the BJP also heavily distributing such schemes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in past speeches warned against what he termed a “freebie culture,” saying that reckless promises could weaken the economy and burden future generations. The BJP has often contrasted welfare spending with what it calls fiscally irresponsible giveaways.
But, in Assam, the BJP government runs the Orunodoi Scheme, which has been expanded in phases, including Orunodoi 3.0, to cover more than 38 lakh beneficiaries.
In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP government’s Ladli Bahna Yojana provides Rs 1,250 per month to eligible women and has become one of the state’s largest welfare commitments with an annual outlay exceeding Rs 20,000 crore.
In Maharashtra, the ruling alliance introduced the Ladki Bahin Scheme offering monthly financial assistance to women, defending it as a social empowerment measure even amid debates over fiscal sustainability.
In Haryana, cash-linked incentives under women and family welfare schemes have been increased in recent years with a focus on education and economic participation.
In Bihar, ahead of elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leadership oversaw transfers of substantial sums including Rs 10,000 payments to women beneficiaries under state schemes aimed at employment and support, moves that critics described as timed for electoral impact.