The JMM-led state government’s plan to give beneficiaries of the Maiyan Samman Yojana a one-time loan of Rs 20,000 under the proposed Mukhyamantri Maiyan Udhayam Yojana (Maiyan Entrepreneurship Scheme) has drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Jharkhand unit and the State Election Commission (SEC).
The state administration allegedly launched the program to sway voters in advance of the next local body elections, according to the BJP.
The head of the BJP’s legal cell, Sudhir Kumar, headed a three-person delegation that filed a formal complaint with the Commission on Monday. The delegation claimed that since the state has already announced civic polls, the plan is an inducement.
Following the announcement of the election schedule, Sudhir Kumar claims that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) went into effect right away. He claimed that the government has purposefully permitted the scheme’s publicity at this time and has refused to acknowledge the MCC’s enforcement.
By associating the elections with the Maiyan program and enticing Maiyan recipients (women), the administration hopes to sway votes. The delegation has called on the Commission to take action against the official or officials responsible for this news’s publishing,” Kumar stated.
He further claimed that the administration has neglected to guarantee that there is no party-level meddling in the election process despite numerous requests.
In order to influence the election process, the BJP argued that presenting the loan scheme as a component of the Maiyan Samman Yojana and providing cash incentives to women recipients amounted to enticement.
The delegation asked the Election Commission to look into the involvement of officials who leaked knowledge about the plan and to take the necessary steps against those who promoted it during the MCC period.
Once the delegation received the memoranda, the State Election Commission promised to look into the problem. The delegation also included BJP leaders Seema Singh and Ashok Bardaik.
Notably, the state’s eagerly anticipated municipal elections have finally been announced after a protracted legal battle in the Jharkhand High Court and strict court orders. On February 23, voting will take place, and on February 27, the count will take place.
Following the announcement of the election timetable, Ranchi and other relevant municipal districts have implemented the Model Code of Conduct. On the same day, voting will take place in all 48 constituencies.
