Lakshmir Bhandar Hike Signals TMC’s Push to Consolidate Women Voters Ahead of 2026 Polls

Kolkata, Feb 2026 : With an eye firmly on the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government has sharpened its focus on women voters by announcing a significant enhancement to the flagship Lakshmir Bhandar welfare scheme. In the interim budget, the Mamata Banerjee-led government increased the monthly assistance under the scheme by ₹500, reinforcing its strategy to strengthen support among women across social categories.

Under the revised structure, women from the general category will now receive ₹1,500 per month, up from the earlier ₹1,000. Beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) will receive ₹1,700 per month. The enhanced payments are set to be credited to beneficiaries’ bank accounts starting February.

To support the expanded outlay, the state government has earmarked an additional ₹15,000 crore for Lakshmir Bhandar in the 2026–27 financial year. Officials said the increased allocation reflects the government’s commitment to social security and women’s economic empowerment, while also acknowledging the scheme’s growing scale and reach.

Lakshmir Bhandar was first announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2021, just ahead of the Assembly elections that year. Following TMC’s return to power, the scheme was rolled out with an initial monthly assistance of ₹500. In 2024, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the amount was doubled to ₹1,000, further boosting its popularity among women voters.

At present, around 2.21 crore women across West Bengal are benefiting from the scheme. The government has also accepted 20.62 lakh new applications, which will raise the total number of beneficiaries to approximately 2.42 crore once the process is completed. This makes Lakshmir Bhandar one of the largest direct benefit transfer schemes for women in the country.

Political observers see the latest increase as a calculated move to consolidate the women’s vote bank, which has been a decisive factor in recent elections. With rising household expenses and economic pressures, the enhanced assistance is expected to provide tangible relief to millions of families, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

As the countdown to the 2026 Assembly polls begins, the Lakshmir Bhandar hike underscores the TMC government’s reliance on welfare-driven politics, with women at the center of its electoral strategy.

Team Maverick.