Bhubaneswar: Amid the intensifying electioneering, BJD and BJP have exchanged barbs over the alleged misuse of Mission Shakti officials, members, and grassroots-level leaders during election campaigns. Both the parties are scrambling for winning over the women voters who are key to determining the poll outcome in the State.
Of the 33.6 million eligible voters in Odisha, 16.3 million are women. Both the BJD and the BJP rely on women voters to tilt the scale in their favour. Women voters have outnumbered men in turnout since 2000, and this is perceived as a key factor behind the BJD’s victory in the state polls for 5 straight terms. As it fights to retain power for the sixth straight term, the BJD touts the financial and social empowerment of women through its Mission Shakti programme as a testament of its women-centric policies.
In its election manifesto, the BJD promised to extend the benefits of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) to grassroots women workers, community support workers, anganwadi workers, and ASHAs in addition to social security pension.
The BJD also accused the BJP of wanting to weaken SHGs. When the BJP cried foul over the BJD’s proposal to organise a trip of women SHG members to Dubai during the ongoing election and put a stop to the visit, the ruling party used it as an opportunity to claim that SHGs were under threat.
The BJP, which has made Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda of women-led development a centrepiece of its election manifesto, contests the BJD’s claims. “Women empowerment is the priority of the Modi government. We have already announced our commitment to have 25 lakh (2.5 million) lakhpati didis (millionaire sisters), increase the monthly salary of each anganwadi worker to Rs.12,000 and raise the salary of anganwadi helpers to Rs.8,000 per month and start Mo Medhabi Jhia Jojana for BPL girl students that will provide an assurance certificate of Rs.2 lakh at the birth of a girl child that can be cashed at the age of 21,” Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said last week.
In its manifesto, BJP pledges to provide women a cash voucher worth Rs.50,000 under Subhadra scheme.
Dismissing the BJD’s claims about empowerment through SHGs, he said the state government is “trying to pass it off bank’s money as theirs.” The interest free loan is the bank’s money that the BJD handles. The money is part of the rural development ministry’s livelihood mission. The Union government services 7% of the interest whereas the state government services only 4%, he said.
Odisha has already voted for four parliamentary seats and 28 assembly seats on May 13. The state will next vote on May 20, 25 and June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.