SaralnamaState governments across the country and cutting across party lines have disbursed a staggering Rs 67,928 crore on populist welfare schemes in the run-up to Assembly elections over the past couple of years. Leading the pack are Maharashtra, in 2024, and Bihar, now, with BJP-led NDA coalition governments in both showering welfare doles in the face of anti-incumbency. The Indian Express analysed eight major elections over the past two years showing how ruling parties have embraced fiscal populism as their primary electoral weapon. In Maharashtra, where the 2024 Assembly elections came months after Lok Sabha results posed a setback to the NDA, the Mahayuti government disbursed Rs 23,300 crore under schemes like the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and free power ahead of polls. Having returned to power, the Mahayuti government is struggling now to meet its Ladki Bahin commitment, with… (Updated 23 Oct 2025, 00:41 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- State governments across the country and cutting across party lines have disbursed a staggering Rs 67,928 crore on populist welfare schemes in the run-up to Assembly elections over the past couple of years
- Leading the pack are Maharashtra, in 2024, and Bihar, now, with BJP-led NDA coalition governments in both showering welfare doles in the face of anti-incumbency
- The Indian Express analysed eight major elections over the past two years showing how ruling parties have embraced fiscal populism as their primary electoral weapon