Hemant Soren-led JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government is confident its women-centric scheme will act as a game-changer against the anti-incumbency factors and narrative of “Bangladeshi infiltration” propelled by the Opposition BJP and help it to retain power in the ensuing Assembly poll.

Sources in the chief minister’s secretariat revealed that the blue-print of the Mukhya Mantri Maiyan Samman Yojana (a monthly financial assistance scheme of state government for eligible women beneficiaries between the age group of 21 and 50 years) had been prepared in January before the arrest of Hemant by the ED on alleged money laundering charges of a land scam in Ranchi.

“It was evident in December 2023 that the ED was hell-bent on arresting Hemant and an inner group of advisors to Hemant Soren had conceptualised the Mukhya Mantri Maiyan Samman Yojana to help in retaining power notwithstanding anti-incumbency factors and narratives fueled by the BJP. Things were in disarray after the arrest. However, soon after his release on bail (June) the scheme was fast-tracked and was executed in August with the first instalment of the financial assistance to women beneficiaries reaching on Raksha Bandhan,” informed the source.

The advisors to the chief minister took solace from the records of Madhya Pradesh and Bengal respectively wherein the Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s government with the Ladli Behna Yojana and the Mamata Banerjee government with Lakshmir Bhandar scheme retained power in the Assembly poll.

“Women are loyal voters and are not swayed easily by religion and caste factors. We have seen it in UP with minority women voters voting for the saffron party in the past. The tremendous response to the Maiyan Samman Yojana (over 48 lakh beneficiaries have enrolled in a month) will be a game changer for us against the ghuspetiye and communal narrative spread by the BJP,” added the source.

JMM spokesperson and Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu said that women-centric schemes have been the focus of the government ever since it came to power. “We started the universal pension scheme providing pension to single women irrespective of age criteria till 21. Even in the Abua Awas Yojana (state-funded housing scheme for rural homeless who were not kept on the list of the Centre-funded Prime Minister Awas Yojana) our priority was the women. In Savitribai Phule Yojana, we helped school and college-going girls with financial assistance and the Maiyan Samman Yojana is part of this effort. We are confident that women would help us retain power,” said Sudivya Kumar, considered close to Hemant.

Enthused with the success of the scheme, Hemant had in a program in Ranchi announced on Wednesday that within a few days, the government would reduce the age criteria for the Maiyan Sammaj scheme beneficiaries.