Will give Rs 40,000 annually to poor woman if SP returns to power: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has said that his party will provide Rs 40,000 annually to poor women in Uttar Pradesh if it returns to power.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister made the remark during an event hosted by a private news channel on Wednesday.

He recalled that the previous SP government had given Rs 500 per month under the 'Samajwadi Pension' scheme for mothers and sisters, and said the party had intended to raise the amount in earlier elections.

"For the 2027 Assembly polls, we have estimated that Rs 40,000 per year will be given to poor mothers and sisters if the government is formed," he said.

Defending the feasibility of the scheme, Yadav said the required funds would be arranged by recovering dues from big industrialists.

Yadav's announcement came in the backdrop of the INDIA bloc's poor performance in the recent Bihar elections, where the NDA secured a sweeping victory.

Ahead of the polls, the Bihar government had begun providing Rs 10,000 to women. Political observers believe the scheme significantly influenced sentiment among women voters and contributed to the ruling coalition's success.