BJP has only money left to win UP polls, says Akhilesh over 'Rs 20,000 women aid'

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday accused the BJP of relying on money to win the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, reacting to reports that the state government may announce financial assistance of Rs 20,000 for women.

Yadav described the reported proposal as "another jumla" and alleged that the money being offered was the result of the BJP's "ill-gotten" earnings.

"The BJP has nothing left except money to win elections. That too is the BJP's ill-gotten money, which the religious-minded women of Uttar Pradesh will never accept," he said in a post on X.

The SP chief questioned the BJP's record in states where, he claimed, similar financial assistance had been announced before elections.

He alleged that the BJP had been reluctant to provide the promised assistance after elections and had instead sought its recovery from beneficiaries, with some women facing police cases and court proceedings when they were unable to repay the money.

Yadav also questioned why the BJP government had not provided Rs 50,000 annually to women during its 10-year tenure if it was now considering such financial support.

He repeated claims from media reports that the Yogi Adityanath government had spent thousands of crores of rupees meant for women's rights and entitlements on publicity.

Yadav calculated that Rs 50,000 annually over 10 years would amount to Rs 5 lakh and compared this with the reported Rs 20,000 proposal.

"The BJP's corrupt government has eaten up Rs 5 lakh belonging to women over the last 10 years and is now serving the jumla of giving only Rs 20,000. Rs 20,000 is only four per cent of Rs 5 lakh, which means these BJP people have swallowed 96 per cent of women's share," he alleged.

He said that even if the BJP provided Rs 20,000, the government would still owe women Rs 4.8 lakh, "If the jumla of Rs 15 lakh is left aside."

Yadav also alleged that BJP workers had gone "underground" because of public anger and said the party was relying on money after losing its moral standing.

"After theft in the temple and attacks on children, the BJP has neither morality nor courage left," he said.

Yadav reiterated the SP's own proposed financial assistance for women, saying: "We will start with Rs 40,000, with an increase every year."

The SP chief had earlier announced the Rs 40,000-a-year proposal for women if his party returns to power in Uttar Pradesh.